


Meant Just For You

by burnintoash (funnymorning)



Category: Winner (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, [sort of spoilers] Jaewon/Minho pairing is a minor pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-07-12 10:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 42,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7099591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funnymorning/pseuds/burnintoash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Minho meets the one. And then he side tracks into Seunghoon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. For the face that I once saw

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another college AU. And despite what the summary may suggest, this fic does not contain any strict form of cheating.
> 
> Each chapter is related to a song, and sometimes, it is more exhausting to find the right song than to actually write the chapter, so it'd be nice if you guys listen to the songs as well. They are songs that I personally love and play on my playlist.
> 
> And as always, I'd appreciate any kudo and comment. <3

_**  
Song:[Young Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVni7afQk8c) by Mystery Jets** _

Minho is not the type of person to fall in love at the first sight.

Or at least, he used to think he is not.

“Who’s that?” He elbows Taehyun and asks. Taehyun gives him a dismissive shrug and carefully aims the small white ping pong ball into the cup across the table. 

The guy is leaving. 

“Nam Taehyun!” Minho raises his voice and shakes Taehyun’s arm just when he is throwing the ball. The ball falls to the floor with a pathetic thud, and Taehyun’s opponent at the other side of the table lets out a celebrating whoop before crawling under the table to retrieve the ball.

“The hell is wrong with you?” Taehyun turns to snap at him, giving Minho one of his patented homicidal glares. Minho ignores it.

“Who is that?” He repeats the question and hooks a not-so-subtle thumb over his shoulder at the door where the guy he just laid his eyes on is talking to a couple of girls. 

“How would I know?” Taehyun says and takes a sip from one of the red cups in front of him, which Minho is pretty sure to be a violation of beer pong rules. 

“It’s your party, dude. Come on.” Minho coaxes. “I’m sorry I made you lose but you don’t even like beer that much.” 

“It’s about pride.” Taehyun says in complete dignity like winning beer pong in a scruffy college party is going to leave a mark on his manhood. “And people bring friends of friends of friends. I don’t know everyone here.” 

“Damn it.” Minho swears under his breath. “He’s leaving.”

The guy is saying goodbye to the girls he is talking to, and laughing openly which makes his already striking face looks even more attractive. Now, Minho has his fair share of gorgeous people in his life – Taehyun and Jinwoo actually model part-time for god’s sake, but he has never felt this kind of immediate fascination when it comes to his friends’ attractiveness. 

“I think I’ve seen him around though.” Taehyun says indifferently after taking a good look at the guy. 

“Where?” Minho asks, watching the guy leave the room in regret.

“What’s with you?” Taehyun says, shaking his head when the guy he was playing beer pong against hands him the ball, apparently deeming Minho more interesting than the game. “Why didn’t you just go and talk to him?” 

“He was really pretty.” Minho shrugs and Taehyun narrows his eyes at him. “I got shy.”

“Yeah, right.” Taehyun snorts. 

Minho is, though. People tend to think he is the loud-mouthed and usually cheery (sometimes annoying) guy all the times at all the places, but he is not. He does not mind meeting new people and acting like he is the most social person in the room, but it doesn’t mean he always wants to do it.

Although, to be fair to Taehyun, all the times he had witnessed Minho with someone, it is always Minho who is initiating and chasing. But those times are usually in clubs or bars where Minho has had enough alcohol and subsequently, enough courage. Tonight, he hasn’t drunk much outside of a couple of beers because he has early recording tomorrow and Jiho is going to kill him if he shows up with anything less than 120% mental capacity.

“There was just something about him.” Minho shrugs because Taehyun is still looking at him curiously. 

“Are you actually thinking of dating him?” Taehyun asks in a scandalous tone. “Song Minho? With a proper boyfriend who will last more than a week?”

“I’ve had boyfriends.” Minho grumbles and grabs the popcorn bowl from the table. 

“Closet make outs in high school do not count.” Taehyun says and Minho regrets ever telling him about those. 

“Anyway, if you really want to know, I’ve seen him around campus. I think he hangs out around Seunghoon hyung’s crew.”

“He’s a dancer?” Minho asks, even more intrigued. With him and Jiho looking for a dance crew, this might just be the perfect opportunity.

“I don’t know.” Taehyun shrugs. “But I don’t think so? I know almost everyone in Seunghoon hyung’s crew. That guy is just there. Probably friends with them.”

Minho is only slightly disappointed. 

“You are talking about Lee Seunghoon, right? The dance guy?” He asks nevertheless. It is still better than nothing. 

“Yeah,” Taehyun nods, shoving a fistful of popcorns into his mouth. “I think he left earlier.” 

Lee Seunghoon is someone Minho has heard of and seen around. It is difficult not to when the Hip Hop people and the dance people have to have a close relationship with each other for performances’ sake. Minho’s crew usually gets with another dance team though, so they haven’t really crossed paths. 

Yet. 

*

He finds Lee Seunghoon at the Starbucks on campus on Tuesday. Well, “find” as in “Taehyun texted him where Seunghoon is after promises of free drinks at their next night out”. But that’s just irrelevant details. 

Minho has surprised himself by showing up here. It has already been four days and going by his track record, he should have moved on from the pretty guy to some other pretty guys. But he can’t seem to. There is a slight the one that got away vibe he is feeling if Minho cares to be dramatic. And like he has admitted to Taehyun, there is something about that guy that intrigues Minho, from all the whole minute Minho has spotted him across a dark crowded room.

He knows it is ridiculous. That’s why he doesn’t even tell Jiho about it. 

“Can I help you?” Lee Seunghoon asks when Minho pulls out the free chair next to him and sits down.

“I am Minho. Song Minho.” Minho smiles widely at the guy.

“I know.” Seunghoon says. “Didn’t Minhyuk hyung introduce us once?” 

Right. He probably did. 

“Wasn’t sure if you’d remember.” Minho replies and takes a sip out of his ridiculously overpriced iced macchiato. 

“I do.” Lee Seunghoon shrugs and pulls the paper spread all over the coffee table closer to him so Minho can put down his drink. “What’s up?”

Lee Seunghoon looks like someone who is hardly fazed by anything or anyone. Like someone he barely knows coming up to him and striking up a conversation is a normal occurrence. It probably is though, given that Minho knows at least three girls from his batch who are into this guy, even though he is pretty sure Taehyun once mentioned that Seunghoon is gay.

“I am here to talk business.” Minho says and Lee Seunghoon immediately bursts out laughing. Minho does not think he said anything particularly funny or outrageous. 

Seunghoon stops when he notices Minho’s bewildered look. 

“Sorry, sorry.” He says with a trailing smile. “It’s just you said it so seriously like we are gangsters negotiating a deal or something.” 

“Well, I was serious.” Minho mumbles, only slightly embarrassed. It sounded cool in his head earlier. 

“Sorry.” Lee Seunghoon apologizes again with a wide smile. “What business?” He asks with air quotes around the word “business” and Minho openly rolls his eyes.

“We are looking for a dance crew. For a music video shoot.”

Seunghoon blinks at Minho a little in surprise before speaking. “You are from Woo Jiho’s crew, right? I thought you guys always go with Minhyuk hyung's group?”

“He is booked for all of October.” Minho replies. “He somehow got his kids into some national dance competition.” 

Minhyuk refuses to give them even a week for the music video shoot, and Jiho has been pissed about it. But it is understandable that he would rather go to a recognised competition than spending time in a student-shot music video that will be viewed by like 50 people.

“Right.” Seunghoon nods. “I heard something about that. Good for them. Anyway, we have some openings in October second and third week if you want.” 

Really? That’s it? No twenty questions to be answered like “what’s the concept?”, “how long are we getting airtime?”, “are you giving us free lunch at the shooting?” Maybe they should just ditch Minhyuk for real and go with Lee Seunghoon’s team from now on. 

“Why don’t you drop by at my studio around 5?” Lee Seunghoon says and hands him a name card. Which sounds professional enough except the card has a cartoon lion head on it and the fonts are in bright pink color – like those fake name cards they used to make in elementary school. “You can check out my team and see if we’ll be a good fit.” 

Minho is pretty sure that if he sees the guy there, he will say it’s a good fit even if Lee Seunghoon’s team is yodeling in unison in front of him. Although Jiho might not appreciate it much. 

“Thanks.” He gives Lee Seunghoon an appreciative nod and leaves him to his various papers full of diagrams and scribbled notes. 

He quickly sends Jiho a text saying that he is going to miss the evening practice session because he is checking out a new dance team, and feels only slightly guilty about it. As he usually gets around evaluation times, Jiho has been driving them absolutely insane with excessive practice and recoding sessions. And it is worse this time around because he is stressed about the dancers as well. If Minho pulls this off, Jiho will relax a little and lets them at least breathe.

Plus, if Minho gets a boyfriend out of it, well, it will be just the added cherry on top.


	2. My standards are higher than my eyesight

_**  
Song:[Amino Acid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTODoECIQQo) by P.O ft. Mino** _

It is lucky Minho actually decides to check the name card Lee Seunghoon gave him, because there is a separate address for the dance studio. Minho was already heading towards the Dance Building where all the dance studios on campus are.

Lee Seunghoon’s team must be freaking loaded if they can afford a dance studio off campus. It is not like real estate is cheap in Seoul. 

The place is about three stops away from campus, and is hidden among various shops and restaurants in a crowded area. Minho almost walks past it before he notices a signboard that says “Rising Sun Dance Studio” in neon colors on the second floor of a building on his left. 

He can hear the soft music coming out from above him once he starts climbing up the narrow stairs. They are not the kind of thumping bass sounds he is used to hearing in most dance practices. It’s more soft and restrained and if he is not wrong, backed up by pianos and some violins. 

Lee Seunghoon and two other girls are dancing in front of the large dance mirror when Minho pushes the door open and steps his way in. The rest of what Minho assumes is Lee Seunghoon’s team is sprawled next to the wall, watching the dancers move to the song that Minho has been hearing faintly on his way up. 

Lee Seunghoon meets his eyes through the mirror and nods towards the floor like asking Minho to sit and wait. Minho replies with a silent thumb up and sits down next to a girl who is filming the dance on her phone. He didn’t have time to take a good look at every one sitting down so he is not sure if the guy is here or not.

He’ll find out soon enough, he guesses.

For right now, he focuses on Lee Seunghoon and the two dancers swaying with the soft music. He thinks he can recognize the English lyrics but the arrangement doesn’t sound familiar so he is not entirely sure what song this is. Nevertheless, it is an enticing performance even though it is pretty clear that this is only an early practice version from the rough steps. 

“Coming up in 5.” Lee Seunghoon signals his dancers and faces towards the audience instead of the mirror.

What is coming up is apparently the piano break down of the song and the accompanying free style breakdown from the dancers. 

Even though it is obvious that all of them are free-styling their dance steps, there seems to be a weird synergy among them like three differently moving gears inside a clock. Minho is mostly focused on Lee Seunghoon though because for one, he is the only face Minho recognizes and two, his expression is something Minho can’t look away from, like he is absorbing the music into his core and spitting back out dance that contains a little piece of him in each step. It is strangely enthralling to watch even when Lee Seunghoon ends his steps with the stopping music with a ridiculous ballet twirl and a self-satisfied smirk. 

“Seo Yeon, try not to favor your left side a lot. You are off-balance” Lee Seunghoon picks up the water bottle on the floor and says after the applause from the floor dies down. “And stop doing so much nae-nae during your free style.”

“There is no such thing as too much nae-nae.” The girl he is addressing sticks her tongue out and Seunghoon laughs. 

“There absolutely is.” He replies and crosses over the dance floor to Minho. “Hey dude, you are late.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I thought I’d just have to go to the campus studios.” Minho stands up and says in the way of explanation.

“Yeah, forgot to remind you.” Seunghoon nods and takes a big gulp of water out of the bottle. Now that they are standing side by side, Minho can see Seunghoon is taller than him, which honestly is not a feat achieved by a whole lot of people. “It’s a bitch to book campus dance studios.”

“This is nice though.” Minho gestures around the room and says. It is not as big as the dance studios on campus but it is brightly lit and spacious enough for ten or so people to move. 

“Yeah,” Seunghoon nods, almost proudly. “Anyway, we prepared something for you but it was kind of last minute so might be a little messy.”

“Oh. Cool.” Minho replies in honest surprise. He didn’t really think they would have prepared a routine just for him. 

“Right,” Seunghoon raises an eyebrow at Minho and waves over the dancers on the floor. “C’mon guys. Last one for the day and then we can go home.”

The resting dancers start to rise from the floor and Minho tries as subtly as he can to see if he can spot the guy among them, but no luck. He vaguely wonders if Minho is misremembering his face, but he is not. He can draw the guy’s face from memory if it wouldn’t be so damn creepy. 

He watches with thin disappointment as all of them lines up in front of him in a V formation, headed by Seunghoon. Seunghoon clicks the play button on his remote and a very familiar beat comes out from the speakers.

Minho groans, torn between cringing from the embarrassing lyrics he wrote when he was 17 and being impressed that Seunghoon actually pulls out something from his first mix tape.

God, was his voice really that high at that time?

Cringe-worthy lyrics or not, it is still one of Minho’s favorite beats and he is soon moving to the rhythm along with Seunghoon and the dancers. Seunghoon laughs at him, and people laughing at his antics actually just encourages Minho more, so he tries to copy the dance steps the dancers are doing, eliciting a surprised laugh from one of the girls in front. 

“Nice.” Minho claps when the song finally comes to its end, and the dancers come to a halt with it. “Are you sure you just prepare this today?”

Seunghoon laughs and wipes his drenched face with his equally drenched tank top, revealing an unexpected pack of abs on his thin frame. And Minho is like 60% gay, ok? He can’t help looking even if he has his eyes sort of set on another.

“It’s a 4-bar beat. We reuse a lot of routines from other songs with a 4-bar.”

“Nah,” Minho shakes his head jokingly. “I think you are one of our hard core fans. How do you even get this song?”

Seunghoon snorts. “Ever heard of the internet?”

“I thought I deleted a lot of my earlier works.” 

“It’s good. Why would you delete it?” Seunghoon says distractedly, and Minho feels a little spark of pride inside him. It is nice to hear people liking any of his songs even if in this particular one, his rhymes sound like they come right out a nursery song.

The dancers filter out of the studio pairs by pairs after saying bye to Seunghoon and Minho. Minho recognizes a couple of faces, but after almost everyone has left, he is sure that the one he is looking for is not here. 

Well, it was a long shot anyway. 

“So, what do you think?” Seunghoon asks, pulling two folding chairs from the corner of the room and setting them down. “We good enough for you?”

“I think the question is if we are good enough for you.” Minho sits down, and replies. “Dude, you have your own studio. I don’t think we can even pay your appearance fees.”

“It is not my studio.” Seunghoon laughs, and Minho is starting to wonder if there is any time of the day when Lee Seunghoon is not smiling or laughing. “I teach some classes here so the owner lets me use it time to time for my own practices.”

“Nice.” Minho nods in appreciation.

“And we just do things like every other student dance group.” Seunghoon continues. “There is no appearance fees for school projects. Just credit and use of the video for our portfolio and class evaluations. We won’t mind if you feed us though.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Minho chuckles. He is all too familiar with hungry dancers. 

“You guys are a bit different though, from Minhyuk hyung's group, I mean.” Minho pauses, not sure if his words would offend Seunghoon. “I don’t mean in like a bad way.”

“We are less synchronised, I know.” Seunghoon nods, obviously used to the comparison. 

“Nah, the synchronisation is there.” Minho shakes his head. “How do I say it? You guys are less… rigid?”

Seunghoon picks at the cap of the water bottle he is holding. “Yeah. One of the reason why we work more with other music group. Minhyuk hyung's team is more suited for hip hop.”

“It’s just different, not better or worse.” Minho interjects. “I think it’d be cool. To do something different.”

“So, we are on?” Seunghoon asks. 

“Yeah,” Minho shrugs. Why not? Despite his intention to find the guy here, his main objective is still to get a dance crew, and Seunghoon’s is more than qualified. “We are on.”

“You don’t need to like talk to your people?” 

“My people?” Minho snorts. “Who sounds like a gangster now?”

Seunghoon gives an embarrassed laugh. 

“Jiho hyung trusts me with these things. He works more on the production side, and I take care of the performance side.”

“Cool.” Seunghoon says without further questions, and holds his hand out for a shake. “So, we settle on October second and third week?”

“Yeah. Probably the third. I still have so much shit to prepare.” Minho shakes the slightly cold hand and answers. “I’ll email you the details after I sort everything out.”

“Sure.” Seunghoon nods.

Minho hesitates a little, not sure if he should ask what he has been wanting to ask, and it seems like Seunghoon notices it because he is looking at Minho curiously.

“You alright?” He asks.

“Yeah,” Minho adjusts the snapback on his head and replies. “I was just wondering. Was that all of your dancers? The people just now?”

“Yeah. Why? I know we are a little short on girls, so if it’s necessary, I can get some girls from another group.” 

“No, no. It’s fine.” Minho replies. “We are thinking of like maybe 5 to 6 dancers so you have more than enough. I was just ... sort of looking for someone.”

“Who?” Seunghoon asks, looking curious. 

“Ah. This is embarrassing.” Minho laughs self-consciously. “I saw this guy at a party and my friend says he’s seen that dude around your crew, so I was sort of hoping I’d run into him.” 

Seunghoon narrows his eyes and Minho hurries to add in. “I mean, I am not here for him. We really need a dance crew. I was just...”

“Trying to kill two birds with one stone.” Seunghoon interrupts and Minho nods because that is what it is. “At least, you are honest about it.” 

“At least?” Minho asks. 

“Do you know how many people come to me because of Jaewon? Too fucking many.”

“Jaewon?” Minho repeats the name. “Wait, how do you know he is the guy I was talking about?”

Seunghoon rolls his eyes and leans over to get his bag from the floor. “Because he’s the only one who hangs out with my crew even though he is not in it. Like some adopted pet that goes around attracting people.”

He rummages around his bag and pulls out his phone before shoving it into Minho’s face. On the screen is a photo of Seunghoon and the face that Minho has been looking for the past few days. 

Guess his luck hasn’t run out yet after all. 

Until he notices their arms around each other in the photo. 

“Are you two together?” He asks in shock. “Oh god, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“Chill, dude.” Seunghoon takes the phone from him and says. “We are not. We are just friends.”

Minho does a little happy dance inside his head. 

“But is he… you know, into guys?” He probes further and Seunghoon rolls his eyes. 

“I am going to say what I always tell to Jaewon’s stalkers.”

Minho tries to protest that he is not a stalker but Seunghoon just raises his eyebrows at him and continues talking.

“I am not going to give you his number or his SNS or his email or any form of contact. If you happen to run into him by yourself and he likes you, congrats. And if he doesn’t, sorry. But I am not getting involved in his relationships.”

“Right.” Minho nods enthusiastically. “But, I am not asking you his contact. See? I just want to know if he is into guys so I can, you know, check myself before I wreck myself.”

“Who even says that in 2016?” Seunghoon wrinkles his nose and says.

“Come on, man.” Minho says, almost in a pleading tone. “Just tell me that for the sake of our future friendship.”

“There is not going to be any future friendship if you are trying to fuck my friend before our friendship even starts!”

“Don’t be harsh.” Minho drawls. “I am a good boy. I promise I’ll wine and dine your friend first. I just need to know if he’s the kind I can wine and dine.” 

Seunghoon gives an exasperated sigh. Well, it is not Song Minho if he can’t wear other people down with his sheer persistence. 

“Fine. He is mostly into girls but there are exceptions.”

“I can work with exceptions!” Minho pumps his fist and replies. “I make a damn good exception.”

Seunghoon mutters something under his breath, probably cursing at him but Minho barely cares. “Thanks, dude. I owe you for like so many things.” 

“You can pay me back by buying me dinner.” Seunghoon stands up and stretches his long arms above his head. “I am starving.”

Damn dancers and their needs to be bought food by any one around.


	3. I can feel the heat but I'm not burning

_**  
Song:[Falling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIjVpRAXK18) by HAIM** _

Seunghoon is absolutely persistent in not telling Minho anything about Jaewon. Not even his last name or his major so that Minho can look him up on the student index. He can, of course, go through it one by one, but just one crush does not warrant hours of eye straining work. Minho hasn’t been at Seunghoon’s studio either because there is no reason to. Jiho is holding the song hostage even though both Han Byeol and Minho have repeatedly told him that it is fine and that they should give Seunghoon a copy of it soon so that he can start making choreography. 

Despite no actual work being done, Jiho and Seunghoon get on like a house on fire. Right after he confirmed Seunghoon for their music video, Minho dragged Jiho and Han Byeol to dinner with Seunghoon and a couple of his dancers in the name of team bonding, and before the night ended, there were phone numbers being exchanged and plans to go clubbing in near future.

Minho even tried asking Seunghoon about Jaewon when he is slightly buzzed from all the soju Jiho kept shoving in front of him during dinner that night. By now, Minho is pretty sure he is not getting shit out of Seunghoon, but he is doing it just for the sake of doing it because Seunghoon tends to get slightly agitated and flustered like an angry hamster whenever Jaewon is brought up. 

Minho wonders if Seunghoon himself has something for Jaewon but he doesn’t get any jealous vibe from him, so he justifies himself in coyly pestering Seunghoon whenever the mood strikes. 

Jiho finally deems the song finalized with barely a month left before the music video shoot, probably because he cannot rearrange it anymore without ruining it and also because Seunghoon has threatened to quit if he doesn’t receive the song in two days. 

Minho takes back what he said before about Seunghoon resembling a cute house pet. He is fucking scary when he is serious and a little pissed. 

Right now though, Seunghoon is all smiles and laughs as he freestyles to their song blaring over the speakers in the studio with Jiho while Minho tries to savage what is left of the brownies Seunghoon brought over to the studio. 

One of the first things Minho learns about Seunghoon is that he just loves to dance any time anywhere. He will start moving his legs to any rhythm and starts freestylling to even the weirdest commercial song on radio. And most of times, it is like he is not even aware of himself doing it. Minho had to physically stop him from dougie-ing on the bus once because people were side eying them. 

“That’s good.” Jiho high fives Seunghoon as the song faints out into echo, and collapses into the chair. Seunghoon shoves Minho over and sits down on the couch next to him, rudely grabbing the last piece of brownie that Minho has been saving up. 

“I can get you the first choreo version by next week.” Seunghoon says and munches his stolen brownie with a smirk over Minho’s protesting noises.

Asshole.

Still. Next week is only three days away. “Don’t rush it too much.” Minho says, handing the tissue box over to Seunghoon, who is literally the messiest eater he has ever seen. “Weren’t you saying that your back hurts just yesterday? Take it easy.” 

Seunghoon stares at him like Minho’s concern confuses him.

Jiho throws his stress ball at Minho’s head but he also has the world’s weakest aim so it just falls next to Minho’s feet and gives a tragic little bounce.

“Where is the concern when I was slaving overnight for the song?”

“Didn’t I make you Ginseng chicken soup because you said you are tired?” Minho asks.

“Arugh.” Jiho pulls a dramatically disgusted face. “I am trying to erase the memory of that taste.”

Minho gives a swift kick to his chair. “It’s not that bad.”

“I think it actually makes me leave the studio for a bit because the horrible smell was all over the room.” Jiho snickers and Minho picks up the stress ball to throw at his head. 

“Children,” Seunghoon drawls and puts his feet up the small table, long thighs resting next to Minho’s. “Minho, are you still booking that warehouse for the shoot?”

“Yeah,” Minho groans. “The price is still a bit high so we are still talking. If I can’t, then I think we can get one of the cheaper ones next to it. But the lighting isn’t as good in those ones.”

“Take Seunghoon.” Jiho points to Seunghoon and says. “Do you see how terrifying he gets when he’s angry?”

“Got you to finish your damn song, didn’t I?” Seunghoon smirks and says, deliberately pulling his eyebrows up like the world’s meanest Chihuahua. Minho has an absurd urge to lean over and pinches him on the wrinkly area above his brows. And he would have if he wasn’t so sure that Seunghoon would kick him off the couch.

“Also,” Seunghoon continues. “What are you guys wearing for the video? I need to know if I should get new costumes for the team.”

Minho covers his face with his hands and groans. He is already all caught up with getting a good location and putting in a request to the school for a good quality camera and shooting personnel without blowing their budget. His classes are also kicking his ass and he still has an individual assessment song to finish, so the last thing on his mind is the fashion for the music video. 

“Whatever we usually wear should be fine.” He answers and Seunghoon gives him an appalled once-over. 

“Even my mom would not use that kind of pattern for her tablecloths.” Seunghoon says, full of disdain, with a finger towards Minho’s flowery shirt. Which, admittedly, is not the most fashionable piece of clothing he owns but it is comfortable and he hasn’t done laundry for like two weeks. 

“Ooh,” Jiho chuckles as if he just heard the sickest burn in the world and Seunghoon turns sharply towards him. 

“Do you want me to get started on your mullet hair?”

Minho launches into full snickers as Jiho defensively pulls at the hair he just got cut a couple of days back.

“What is wrong with my hair? It gives me …”

“If you say the word _'swag'_ ,” Seunghoon glares at him. “I swear to god I will drag you off your seat by every single ugly hair strand.”

Jiho shuts up and lifts from his seat a little to see in the studio mirror like he is trying to decipher if his hair really is that ugly.

Answer: it is. Minho just doesn’t have the heart to tell him that. 

“I am obviously not wearing this in the video.” Minho says, grabbing at his shirt. “I don’t have time to think in terms of fashion yet but I’ll work something out.” 

“What about leather?” Seunghoon interjects. “The song sounds a little rock influenced. Plus, you never go wrong with leather.” 

“Isn’t that a bit cliché though?” Minho replies. “And I don’t have a lot of leather items.” 

Seunghoon looks over him in close scrutiny. “I am not asking you to dress in full leather suit. Maybe just a point item. And I have a couple of leather clothes. You can borrow some if they fit you.” 

“Did you sign this guy on as a stylist as well? “ Jiho says and Seunghoon snorts. 

“I am not appearing in a video with dudes dressed like 1TYM.” 

Minho knocks his feet with Seunghoon’s. “1TYM are classic, hyung. Don’t be rude.” 

Seunghoon gives him a look that says you would, but doesn’t reiterate. Instead, he starts talking to Jiho about the dance break downs and camera angles while Minho keeps knocking his socked feet into Seunghoon’s bare calves until Seunghoon glares at him and kicks his legs off the table. 

Seunghoon leaves soon, complaining on his way out about classes with mandatory attendance. Minho has the night shift at the store later so he decides to just stay in the studio and catch as much sleep as he can before he has to transform into a mindless drone for the sake of money. Jiho is noisily composing some tracks, but the beats and electronic whirs are part of white noise for Minho now. 

“So, I saw Taehyun the other day.” Jiho says, after a couple of minutes of messing around on the computer.

Minho groans because Jiho and Taehyun has the strangest relationship ever – if you can even call it that. It is like they are fighting over Minho except that neither of them really cares if Minho likes one more than another. He is probably just a scapegoat in their diva ego contest.

“Did he call you a budget Kang Seungyoon again?” Minho asks. The last time they were at a club together, Jiho and Taehyun got into a spat over some dumb shit that Minho doesn’t even remember and Taehyun decided to go for the throat. 

“Like he would dare.” Jiho snorts. “The guy is a pussy if he doesn’t have enough alcohol in him.”

Minho massages his head, praying away the creeping headache. “If you are only going to complain about Taehyun, can you do it later hyung? I really want to get some sleep.”

“He says you are into some dude? Like properly into?” Jiho asks suddenly and Minho freezes a little. 

“Ok. I really don’t understand you two.” He grumbles. “If you hate each other, why are you exchanging gossips about me?”

“It’s not gossip.” Jiho retorts. “And I don’t hate him. I just think he’s a brat.” 

Minho sighs. 

“Anyway,” Jiho continues. “You didn’t tell me you are trying to chase some dick.”

Minho grunts. “Classy.”

“I am serious. This is what, the first boyfriend you will have in like years, and you didn’t even tell me.”

“It’s not that serious, hyung.” Minho exhales a long breath. “He’s just a nice looking dude, that’s all.”

“It’s Seunghoon, right?” Jiho says and Minho’s head falls off the sofa’s armrest. 

“What the hell, hyung?” He grits. “It is not. Why would you say that?”

Jiho raises an eyebrow at him. “Chill, man. I am just saying because you two seem to be flirting a lot lately.”

“I don’t flirt with him!” Minho protests. Sure, there are hugs and touches, a little too much for someone he has known only for two weeks but Seunghoon is a naturally grabby dude and Minho is not the one to shy away from physical contact. 

“Alright,” Jiho says in a placating tone. “Don’t get too worked up over it. I was just asking. So, who’s the guy?”

“You don’t know him.” Minho replies. “Actually, I don’t know him either. I only saw his face like once. And that was like two weeks back.” 

“Must be a pretty nice looking dude if he gets you this work up.” Jiho says, and to be honest, Minho hasn’t even been thinking about Jaewon for a long time now. Sure, it’d be nice to run into him again and see if there can be anything between them, but he won’t really get his heart broken otherwise.

“He’s really attractive.” He says to Jiho nonetheless. “And he’s a friend of Seunghoon hyung’s but Seunghoon hyung refuses to tell me anything about him.”

“Hmm.” Jiho mumbles thoughtfully and Minho looks up at him, but he doesn’t say anything. 

“Anyway, I am not like pining after him despite whatever shit Taehyun told you.”

“If you say so,” Jiho shrugs and goes back to the computer, and Minho shuts his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep as soon as possible, but Jiho’s voice keeps ringing inside his head.

He does not flirt with Seunghoon. He really doesn’t.


	4. Hello. Is it me you're looking for?

_**Song:[Hello](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84RxK4N1wfE) by Lionel Richie** _

“You do realize you can get like three lattes for this price at our canteen?” Minho says in place of greeting and hands the Soy Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino (he actually has to write down the name to remember it) over to Seunghoon who is doing painful-looking splits on the floor. 

“Thanks.” Seunghoon mumbles and takes a dainty sip out of his ridiculously long-named and sugary drink. “You know I don’t like the café at our canteen.” 

Minho thinks it is more of a case of Seunghoon being addicted to Starbucks. This is the third time Seunghoon asks him to drop by and get him a drink at the Starbucks a street over the studio. 

“Why though?” Minho asks, taking a cautious sip out of his burning hot black coffee. “They are pretty decent.”

Seunghoon shrugs and leans over until his hands are resting on top of his front stretched leg, and his forehead on his knee. Minho’s limbs hurt just from looking at the human pretzel form Seunghoon is in, but Seunghoon does not even seem to be breaking a sweat. 

“You know the lady with the mole on her face who works at our canteen café?” Seunghoon asks, voice coming in low tone from the way he was bending his head downwards. 

“Yeah.” Minho nods. She is always nice and sometimes sneaks him an extra cookie if he looks particularly tired or hungry. “What about her?”

“I saw her at the bus stop one day. When the term started.” Seunghoon says. “She was picking her nose.”

“Ok?” Minho asks, perplexed.

“And I stop going to the canteen café starting from that day.”

“Huh?” Minho blinks a little, trying to follow the vague line of Seunghoon’s logic. “But you saw her at the bus stop.”

“Yeah but who knows if she does the same before serving us?” Seunghoon replies blithely. 

“I am pretty sure that’s against the health codes, hyung.” Minho says. 

“Whatever,” Seunghoon snorts and pulls his upper body up, stretching his arms towards the ceiling. Minho is starting to wonder if Seunghoon is warming up for his class or doing yoga. “Whenever I see her, I end up seeing that image of her concentrating on picking her nose in my head and _erugh_.” 

He gives a dramatic body shake and god, Lee Seunghoon is the most dramatic person Minho has ever met, and that’s saying something because he actually lived with Nam Taehyun for one semester. 

“I am serious!” Seunghoon glares at him. “I can’t even face her when I eat lunch at the canteen. I have to like, face the other way from the coffee shop.” 

Minho puts down his coffee cup and does not try to restrain the laughter rising out of his throat. 

“You are so weird.” Minho says after he has calmed down a little and Seunghoon sticks his tongue out at him, which has turned red from the drink. 

“And yet here you are.” Seunghoon gulps down his Frappuccino and pulls out the hand held vacuum from the supply closet. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“You had your drink, and now you ask me what I am doing here.” Minho says, raising his voice over Seunghoon’s noisy vacuuming. “You just want me for free food.” 

“Well, I sure don’t want you for your amazing fashion sense.” Seunghoon laughs and runs the vacuum nozzle over Minho’s sweatpants. Minho yells when the fabric gets stuck in the nozzle and pulls at his pants. 

“You want to talk fashion while you are wearing the shortest pants known to man?” Minho laughs and snatches the vacuum from Seunghoon’s arm, firmly holding his wrist in one hand and using the other to aim the nozzle at Seunghoon’s bare calves. 

“Not my skin, asshole.” Seunghoon yelps as Minho hovers the vacuum over his legs. “It will bruise.”

Minho cackles and taps the nozzle lightly over Seunghoon’s legs, avoiding the kicks Seunghoon is aiming towards him. 

“Seunghoon hyung.” Someone calls from the doorway and Minho turns his head and his laughter dies down in an instance. Only the vacuum noise is ringing echoes around the empty studio. 

Seunghoon grabs the vacuum from Minho’s hand to turn it off, and Minho easily lets the machine go because he is too focused on the guy standing at the doorway. 

“Bad time?” He asks and Minho shakes his head violently even though the question is not aimed at him. 

Seunghoon gives him a light slap on the back and Minho sheepishly turns towards him with a barely restrained smile. 

“Hi Jaewon.” Seunghoon replies with an exaggerated sigh and throws the vacuum onto the table next to them. “It’s fine. Come in.” 

Jaewon jumps over the threshold and struts towards them, glancing at Minho with a little wariness. Probably because Minho has been staring at him like a creep. He couldn’t help it. If he thought Jaewon is handsome in a dark room over a good distance, that thought does not do justice to how actually freaking gorgeous this guy is up close and personal. 

“I’m really sorry,” Jaewon is saying to Seunghoon. “But I lost my keys again.”

“Jesus Christ, Jung Jaewon.” Seunghoon grunts. “Are you playing hide and seek with them? How can one person lose keys two times in a month?”

“I am sorry.” Jaewon gives a small pout and Minho somehow feels like defending him with all his might even though he has no idea what is going in. “I am pretty sure I accidentally threw them away with the trash this morning.”

Seunghoon puts his palm over his forehead and sighs. “I only have one extra pair left, so if you lose them again, you are sleeping in the hallway.” 

“I won’t. I promise.” Jaewon beams and Minho gets a little taken back at the brightened up face. Fuck, this kid is lethal. “Thank you, hyung. You are the best.” 

Seunghoon snorts. “Wait here for a minute.” 

Minho turns his head to face Seunghoon and moves his eyebrows until Seunghoon rolls his eyes exasperatedly. 

“This is Minho. Be nice.” He says and disappears into the back room where the lockers are. 

“Hi,” Jaewon bows a little hesitantly, and Minho slaps himself internally at how much of a creeping idiot he must be coming across as. 

“Hey,” he smiles and while he knows he does not have a killer smile like Jaewon, he has been told by reliable sources that he does have his own charms when he smiles. “Song Minho.” 

Jaewon returns the smile with a little more ease than before and shakes the hand that Minho is offering. His hands are tiny compared to Minho’s and Minho kind of want to hold onto them.

“Jung Jaewon.” Jaewon says. “But you probably heard it from Seunghoon hyung’s scolding.”

“He’s scary when he’s mad, isn’t he?” Minho laughs. 

“Yeah,” Jaewon nods, smile firmly on his face. “But to be fair, I lost my previous pair of keys like a couple of weeks back so.”

“Maybe you should strung them up on a necklace like those ajummas.” Minho suggests and Jaewon wrinkles his nose at the idea of it. 

“Seunghoon hyung will make me do it for real. Don’t let him hear that.” 

“You guys live together?” Minho asks, only regretting it a second later that it might have come across as too invasive, but Jaewon doesn’t look to be particular bothered by it.

“Yeah, I shared an apartment with him and my cousin. It’s not far from here actually.”

Seunghoon is not getting any more over-priced drinks from Minho for withholding this extremely important information.

“Cool.” Minho nods in appreciation. “Living in the dorms is horrible unless you are a freshman.” 

“I thought K’Arts have decent enough dorms?” Jaewon puts his hands in his stupidly tight jeans and asks. 

“Wait? You are not from K’Arts?” Minho asks in slight shock. It has never even occurred to him that Jaewon is not from his university. Although it makes perfect sense of why it is so damn difficult to even spot him on campus. 

“No,” Jaewon shakes his head. “I am from SIA but I am taking a break between semesters right now. Saving up a little so I can travel.” 

“That’s awesome, man. Where are you thinking of …”

“These really are the last pair, you little bastard.” Seunghoon appears next to them like the world’s tallest cockblocker and Minho tries to glare at him as subtly as possible. 

“Ah, thank you so much. Really, hyung.” Jaewon takes the keys with both hands and bows almost excessively. 

“If you lose them again, I am gonna put them on a necklace and make you wear it all day.” Seunghoon grumbles, and Jaewon meets Minho’s eyes before breaking into laughter.

“Inside joke.” Minho says when Seunghoon raises an eyebrow at him. Seunghoon gives him a look that says you are full of shit , and Minho just gives him a wink happily. 

Unfortunately, Jaewon leaves after that, apologizing again for disturbing them and saying bye to Minho with a little wave. Minho does not even have the chance to try to get his contact or SNS. 

“Wipe your drool.” Seunghoon says after the door to the studio slams shut with Jaewon’s exit. “You are so embarrassing.”

Minho ignores the insult and punches Seunghoon’s in the arm lightly. 

“Ya.” Seunghoon yells and rubs at the spot where Minho just hits him. “What’s that for?”

“For not telling me that you share a house with the guy of my dreams.”

“The guy of your dreams?” Seunghoon mocks. “Are you the leading lady in a romantic webtoon?”

“Fuck off, you know what I mean.” Minho replies. “I can’t believe you never actually told me he lives with you.”

“I told you I won’t get involved in Jaewon’s relationships.” Seunghoon says, opening his laptop and setting up the speakers. “I hate playing matchmaker.” 

“He seems to like me though, right?” Minho nudges Seunghoon with his shoulder and asks. “Come on. We are totally bros now. Give me some bro privileges.” 

“Well, _bro_ ,” Seunghoon drawls. “I have a class to teach in 10 minutes. So either stay here quietly or take your horny self to somewhere that is not here.”

“My love for Jaewon is pure. How dare you?” Minho coos and jumps back when Seunghoon gives him a side kick. 

“Fine. Fine. I’ll sit here and shut up.” Minho mimes a zip over his mouth and sits down cross-legged on the floor.

“Do you have nothing better to do?” Seunghoon asks and Minho just shrugs. He wants to have Thai for dinner and Jiho doesn’t like spicy food. Jinwoo has a photo shoot, and Taehyun is not picking up his calls. So, Minho is going to drag Seunghoon out after his class ends because Seunghoon never says no to any food. 

Plus, he knows Seunghoon has Zumba Class on Wednesdays and it is always unintentionally funny to watch Seunghoon exasperatedly trying to teach a bunch of middle-aged aunties on how to do the Reggaeton shake.


	5. We're getting close now, don't turn away

_**  
Song:[The Perfect Scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Ppp6Vxz3s) by Mercy Mercedes** _

Minho finally manages to book the warehouse he has set his eyes on since … forever. The rental is still a little out of their budget but a couple more shifts at the store should cover it. Plus, Jiho gets them into a show at a club that actually pays real legit money in a couple of days, so he doesn’t even have to worry about surviving on ramen and mom’s Kimchi for the next month. 

They are going all out for this video, even at the risk of actually going broke, but this is Jiho’s final year project, and the last time Minho can work together with him as a student before Jiho goes and becomes Korea’s next top producer or something, so Minho does not mind pulling his heart and soul (and wallet) into it. 

He gives Seunghoon a call to see if he wants to go and check the place out because Seunghoon has been nagging at him about it lately. Even though the choreography is mostly completed, Seunghoon is insistent that he needs to see the space his team will be dancing in before he can finalize it. The call to Seunghoon goes unanswered, but Minho doesn’t think much of it, and just sends him a text to drop by at the studio when he has time. He probably has practice or class. 

And Minho has more important things to focus on.

Like the solo song he plans to finish writing in two months. Which definitely is not happening with the music video shoot coming up and his other various assignments. At least, he gets to have the studio for a couple of hours right now while Jiho is actually attending a class for a change. Student studios are extremely difficult to book, and he knows Jiho has to fight tooth and nail to get them a block or two every week at the studio. So, he is trying his damndest to write but everything that comes out of him sounds either hilariously fake or childish. 

It is probably because the song he has been working with Jiho for the music video is your typical “I am better than you and your entire family tree” hip-hop song whereas his solo song is supposed to be more personal and genuine. It is kind of difficult to do a 180 from where his headspace has been in for the past few weeks. 

Or, it could just be that his brain is drying up like it usually does after three essays and several consecutive working nights. God, he hasn’t slept for more than five hours every night for, what, the past week? Two? He can’t even remember. 

The studio door creaks open and Minho turns his head to see Seunghoon stomping in with a sulky expression on his face. 

“You alright?” Minho asks and Seunghoon snarls at him before picking up the small throw pillow on the sofa next to Minho, and starts beating Minho up with it.

“What the hell, hyung?” Minho yells and grabs the pillow from Seunghoon, pulling him to sit down on the sofa in the process. “What did I do?” 

“Do you have to call me at that time? Like you couldn’t have waited for two minutes?” Seunghoon grouches and throws his snapback onto the table. 

“Huh?” Minho puzzles. “Were you in a class or something?”

“Worse.” Seunghoon groans and covers his face with both of his hands like he is actually going to cry. “God, I want to die.”

“What happened?” Minho doesn’t know what he did so wrong by just simply calling Seunghoon, but he is starting to worry. He grabs at Seunghoon’s hands and pulls them down, staring at Seunghoon’s pained expression. “Dude.”

Seunghoon breathes out a loud sigh. “I was at the bus stop.”

“Ok?” Minho prompts. He is starting to get wary at all the shenanigans Seunghoon can get up to at a bus stop.

“And I run into my ex.”

Minho still does not understand where his phone call fits in but he keeps quiet and listens as Seunghoon grumbles out his words. 

“He was coming towards the bus stop actually, and I didn’t want to, you know, talk to him. It is fucking awkward. So, I took out my phone and pretended I was on a call.”

“Oh, fuck. No.” Minho swears, trying to suppress the laughter rising out of his throat. “Tell me I didn’t.”

“You fucking did, alright?” Seunghoon snaps. “I was giving an Oscar worthy performance on a fake talk with a professor and the phone fucking rings in the middle of it.”

“Oh my god!” Minho can’t hold it any longer and he falls backwards on the sofa, giggles coming out of him uncontrollably. Only Lee Seunghoon can have something like this happened to him. “You are such a loser. Oh my god.”

“Yah!” Seunghoon shouts at him. “I am traumatized, ok? It is worse because he is someone that knows I will pull shit like this.”

“What did he do?” Minho asks among his snickers. “Did he ask if you have a good talk with your professor?”

“No, you asshole.” Seunghoon pouts. “I ran onto the first bus I saw and then ended up in Hongdae.” 

It sends Minho into laughter again, and Seunghoon grabs the pillow Minho threw onto the floor earlier, hitting him with it after every beat. “Stop. Laughing. You. Fucking. Shithead.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Minho sniggers, not actually feeling sorry at all. “But, damn, at least turn your phone on mute if you are going to fake a phone call, hyung.” 

“I can’t think that fast, ok?” Seunghoon grunts. 

“More like you can’t think at all.” Minho jokes and Seunghoon snarls at him before jumping onto Minho’s sprawled legs and smothering him in the face with the pillow. Minho grabs at it before the dust from the pillow chokes him to death, and throws it across the room in case it becomes a murder weapon in the hands of Lee Seunghoon. 

“You are such a disaster.” He says to Seunghoon, hoping the fondness comes across as much as he means it. 

Seunghoon does not reply, but he nudges Minho over until he scoots back enough for Seunghoon to lay down next to him, his head just under Minho’s arms, so he must not have been too offended or angry.

“I am so embarrassed. God.” Seunghoon whines and hides his face in Minho’s arm. 

“There. There.” Minho mocks pet Seunghoon’s head, bouncing his palm over the fluffy hair. “I am sure you are used to it by now.” 

Seunghoon hits him on the chest and Minho lets out a loud “oof” even though it doesn’t even hurt. 

“Was it a bad breakup?” Minho asks after Seunghoon quiets down for a while. “Do I need to find this guy and beat him up?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Seunghoon snorts. “He will beat your ass down before you can even try.”

Minho feels a little insulted. He can hold his own in a fight, alright? Sure, he has never been in one but he is pretty sure he can. 

“Is he from K’Arts as well?” He continues. It should feel a little weird asking about Seunghoon’s past relationships but they have crossed a certain friendship threshold where Minho is comfortable talking about personal things. He is pretty certain Seunghoon is too because he is answering.

“No. He’s a couple of years older than me, but we met when he was in a business school.”

“Please don’t tell me you dated an anal and boring investment banker.” Minho grumbles.

“He’s an accountant if it helps.” Seunghoon says and Minho groans. 

“It’s not that bad, ok?” Seunghoon says defensively. “He’s a good guy. We just sort of drifted apart because we were doing our own things too much.”

“Yeah, well,” Minho thinks it is a little rude to say that’s what I thought, so he just mumbles. “You deserve someone as crazy as you.” 

“No one is as crazy as me.” Seunghoon laughs and Minho laughs along with him, pulling Seunghoon a little closer towards him when the motion almost knocks Seunghoon off the sofa. 

The couch is absolutely not made for two people to lie down side by side so Minho tries to flatten his body as much as he can against the back of the it, and pushes at Seunghoon’s head until it is resting on his arm. 

“Why were you calling me for, by the way?” Seunghoon asks, shifting his head like he is trying to find a comfortable spot on Minho’s arm.

“Uh. Yeah. I booked the warehouse.” Minho replies. “We can go and check it out tomorrow.” 

“Cool.” Seunghoon says, staring at Minho’s face with an intensity that Minho is unfamiliar with. “Have you not slept in like forever? Your dark circles are horrifying.”

“Thanks.” Minho snorts and self-consciously rubs at his under-eye area. “Real confidence boost.”

“Rest a little.” Seunghoon says. “You can’t drop dead at the first show I am coming to see.”

“You are coming to our show?” Minho asks in mild surprise.

“Duh.” Seunghoon replies. “Need to see if you kids are good enough for my team.” 

“You already signed a contract, hyung.” Minho says. “Can’t break it now. And speaking of, have you finished up the choreo?”

Seunghoon worries his lips, almost guiltily. “I was doing it last night but my back gets a little bad, so I had to stop.”

“Damn it, man. Haven’t you gotten it checked out by a doctor yet?” Minho asks. It must have been pretty bad if it actually stops Seunghoon from working. 

“I will.” Seunghoon says, too flippantly for Minho’s liking. He is going to have to drag this guy to a hospital at some point. “It’s probably nothing.” 

“It’s not nothing if it keeps bothering you so much.” Minho grunts and puts his free hand around Seunghoon’s waist. “At least, get a massage or acupuncture or something.” 

He lifts Seunghoon’s thin shirt a little and kneads his knuckles along the soft skin covering up the rigid spine. Seunghoon straightens his back a little at the touch like an involuntary reflex. 

“I am kind of sleepy now.” Minho admits, letting out a yawn and rubbing his fingers in a nonsensical patterns over Seunghoon’s back. 

“Sleep.” Seunghoon twists his arm to grab at Minho’s hand on his back and says. “I will call you tomorrow.” 

“You can stay.” Minho pulls at him when Seunghoon moves his body to get up. “I mean, unless you need to be somewhere.” 

“No,” Seunghoon shakes his head. “I am good for the night.”

“Then, you should get a little sleep too.” Minho says. “Have you taken a look at your own dark circles?” 

“I make them work.” Seunghoon mumbles, but he lies back down with his head on Minho’s shoulders, the breath from his face brushing Minho’s neck. 

“Bullshit.” Minho yawns and scratches at his head. “You look like a zombie.”

“A cute zombie,” Seunghoon retorts or at least, Minho thinks he did, because he is feeling a very familiar heaviness falling upon his consciousness and every sense of him starts to get distorted into gradual nothingness. 

* 

Minho jerks awake when the sudden bright light invades into his eyelids, causing them to sting harshly. He puts his arms over them uselessly, curses at the world and groans. 

“Need to leave in about 15, kids.” Jiho says from somewhere vaguely upwards and Minho whines in his throat before blinking his eyes open to see Jiho hovering over him. Them.

Seunghoon’s face is burrowed in his chest, which explains why he is not as rudely assaulted by the lights like Minho’s poor eyes. 

Jiho gives him a look, the kind of look that always comes with a parental comment or rant like he is forgetting that he is not actually Minho’s dad.

“What?” Minho mumbles, mouth thick like someone shoves a spoon of cobwebs into it. 

“Nothing.” Jiho says and points to Seunghoon. “You wanna wake the sleeping beauty up? Someone else booked the studio at 9.” 

Minho blurrily rubs at his face and shakes Seunghoon with his free hand. Seunghoon lets out a small whine and snuggles his head further into Minho until Minho pats at his shoulders more violently.

“Get up, hyung.” He says when Seunghoon finally opens his eyes and vacuously stares at him like he is no idea where or who he is. “Time to go.”

It takes a couple of more seconds for Seunghoon to finally register with the world and even then, he is pulling himself up and sitting on the couch with a hilariously cute blank face. 

“Go and wash up.” Minho pushes at him, awake enough now unlike Seunghoon. He wonders if this is how Seunghoon is like every morning. No wonder all his classes are scheduled after noon.

Seunghoon stumbles his way into the tiny toilet attached to the studio and Minho stretches on the sofa, only becoming aware now that his limbs has been squashed all this time. 

“What?” He asks Jiho, again, when he notices him staring at him thoughtfully. 

Jiho shrugs and wordlessly hands Minho a wet towel pack from his bag. Minho narrows his eyes at him but takes the towel. He is all too familiar with this kind of looks from Jiho. It is the kind Jiho gives when he thinks Minho is being needlessly stupid. 

Except Minho is not even doing anything to warrant this kind of judgment from Jiho. 

Seunghoon comes out of the washroom, asking if they have an extra tooth brush, and Minho gets up, trying to find the extra pair he stashes somewhere in his bag and forgets about what is wrong with Jiho.


	6. When we hop on the music, we don't do jokes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went on a little bit longer than the rest because I can't find a good cut-off point in the middle.

_**  
Song:[No Jokes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1rgFC9IDtw) by Block B** _

The noises are deafening, and the smell of cheap air freshener mixed with tobacco and alcohol is assaulting Minho’s nostrils full frontal. But, the bass is thumping in sync with Minho’s rapid heart beats and Jihoon is here next to him with Jiho and they are going on stage to perform like they used to do when they were 16 and unbearably conceited and thought they are going to revolutionize the Korean hip hop world.

Now, they are 22 and have a little bit more realistic expectations and a little less conceited. 

But, they are still going to fucking kill it. 

“Jessi is on her last song, guys. Get ready.” One of the bartenders slash backstage managers pokes his head into the small cramped backstage and declares, making Jiho to stand up a little straighter and tug at his microphone. Jiho’s jumpiness when it comes to Jessi will never make sense to Minho because while Jessi tends to rule over more or less everyone she meets, Jiho has like legit trauma with her for reasons he refuses to share with Minho.

Minho bounces on the balls of his feet a little, trying to regulate his breathing so that he doesn’t choke on his words later. He is more excited than nervous and he has like four Red Bulls in the past two hours so he is just sugar high enough to tear up the stage. 

“Am I late?” Minho almost misses the question if not for Jihoon who pokes at him and points at the new comer.

“Seunghoon hyung,” Minho grins and beckons him closer, kicking over a chair next to him to make space. “We are going up after this set.” 

“At least I made it in time.” Seunghoon says and wipes the sweat off his brows. “I didn’t know underground club means it is actually under the fucking ground. I got lost for like twenty minutes.” 

In hindsight, Minho probably should have mentioned that Velvet is an almost hidden club underneath a restaurant and a karaoke bar and easy to miss for first timers. But he forgets that he only actually has known Seunghoon for maybe a month at most. It is kind of weird to see how Seunghoon fits in to him, like he is someone who has been with Minho from the start. 

“You clean up good though.” Seunghoon continues. “Taking my advice. I see.” 

He pokes at the leather jacket Minho is wearing over one of his good shirts, and Minho grins. He can’t exactly deny that he thought of Seunghoon when he was going through his wardrobe earlier. But he is not going to admit it obviously. 

Seunghoon tugs at Minho’s inner shirt before looking him in the eyes. “Can I?”

Minho is not exactly sure what Seunghoon is asking permission for, but still, he gives a nod. 

Seunghoon steps closer, sneakers bumping into Minho’s dark boots, and tucks the shirt into his jeans, pulling and shifting it until it rests messily on his waist, the front half tucked into his waistband and the rest falling almost effortlessly.

“You got a belt?” Seunghoon asks and Minho shakes his head, afraid to move in case his styled shirt gets disturbed. 

Seunghoon tsks at him, and before Minho can ask what he is doing, he is lifting his shirt and taking off his own belt. 

“I don’t really need …” Minho starts but Seunghoon pays him no attention. Instead, he steps closer to Minho and wraps his arm around Minho’s waist underneath his leather jacket. Minho can feel the belt loops on his jeans being tugged at like he is 5 and his mom is dressing him up for school. It is a little awkward but he also feels kind of unexpectedly warm. 

“Satisfied?” Minho asks Seunghoon, when he finally takes a couple of steps back and observes his handiwork. 

“You’ll do.” Seunghoon gives him a thumb-up.

“Are you not gonna style me?” Jiho drawls from next to them. “I am also performing you know.”

“I would.” Seunghoon smirks. “But I didn’t bring a shaver to shave off your hair.”

Jiho snorts and waves him off. Minho is pretty sure that despite Seunghoon’s best efforts, he is not going to be able to insult that damn mullet off of Jiho’s head because Jiho is stubborn as fuck when he wants to be. 

Some generic instrumental dance beats come out from the stage and Minho turns his head just in time to see Jessi climbing off the stage in heels sharp enough to stab someone.

It’s their cue. 

“Lets’ move.” Jiho sobers up and snaps at them. Minho nods, and grabs the microphone he puts on the table next to him. “Thanks, Seunghoon hyung. I’ll see you later?”

“Break a leg!” Seunghoon raises his fists and says. “And I got you a present. So, do well.”

“Wait. What present?” Minho shouts although Jiho is pushing him towards the stage.

“Fighting!” Seunghoon just grins back and ducks out into the main floor. Minho gives a little tap to the microphone, jumping from foot to foot and impatiently waits for the beat to start. 

“Is that Lee Seunghoon?” Jihoon shoulder checks him and asks.

Which is a simple enough question but Jihoon’s tone is along the line of _“Minho, you don’t happen to see the last cookie in the fridge, let alone eat it, do you?”_. Suspicious and accusing.

“Yeah, why?” Minho asks back, and Jihoon shrugs at him. 

“I see what you mean now, hyung.” Jihoon turns to Jiho who is rolling up his sleeves next to him.

“Right?” Jiho nods and Minho has a nagging feeling in the back of his head.

“Are you two talking shit about me behind my back?” He glares at the two conspirers.

“Minho-yah,” Jihoon grins at him. “We always talk shit about you behind your back. How is this new?”

Before Minho can retort, the beat to their first song is already coming out and Jihoon is already rushing onto the stage, pretending not the see the middle finger Minho is raising at him. 

He runs onto the stage after Jihoon finished his verse, practiced words already coming out of his mouth in time to the flow. The crowd is wild as usual and some of them are even mouthing along to the lyrics, which just gives him a brand new kind of hype and he is soon spitting bars into the microphone, only half worried that his throat is going to be hurting tomorrow. 

Minho gets a breather when Jiho’s part comes in and he dances along to the beat, waving at the audience and high-fiving the closer ones. He finally finds Seunghoon among the dark shadows of the thick crowd when the strobe light passes over his head. Seunghoon beams at him and gives him two thumbs up while also jumping up and down wildly. And, it seems like Minho has found Seunghoon’s present for him as well because Jaewon is next to Seunghoon, not as maniacally moving, but still bouncing to the beat and waving at him.

God bless Lee Seunghoon.

They only have fifteen minutes of stage time excluding Jiho’s solo stage, so they run through the introduction and crowd hype quickly before launching right into song after song. They only practiced for 4 songs but there are calls for encore from the audience too loud to ignore and they end up doing one of their newer songs. Thank god for Jiho and his habit of bringing the backing tracks everywhere he goes. 

There is a short DJ break between Jiho’s solo stage and theirs, just long enough for Jiho to drown a water bottle and wipe at his sweaty face and run back, but short enough to make sure the audience doesn’t wander away. 

While the DJ is changing track and Minho is on his way off the stage, he notices Seunghoon looking at him, so he tilts his head towards the backstage area, asking Seunghoon to come over. Seunghoon nods and pushes his way through the crowd with his long limbs while Jaewon just follows him out in the path that Seunghoon cleared. Minho doesn’t realize he was stopping in his track and staring at them until Jihoon bumps into him from behind and almost pushes him down the stairs. 

Backstage, if you can even call it that since it is basically a glorified storage room, is crowded as usual, but at least there are free beer buckets lined up on the small wobbly table in the corner so Minho does not really mind. 

He hands Jihoon a beer and clinks the neck of the bottle against his own, trying to shake out the post-performance hype. He’s not going to be able to sleep tonight, that is for sure, but if he does not try to calm down, he’s gonna crash and/or get black-out drunk before the night even begins. 

And that cannot happen, obviously. He hasn’t even said hi to Jaewon. 

Speaking of, he can see Seunghoon trying to find his way into the too cramped room, mostly because he is standing a head taller than everyone around. Minho grabs two more beers and shoves his way outwards after telling Jihoon to come find him in the main club after Jiho is done. Performers are encouraged to not stay in the back stage waiting area after they are done anyway. (But everyone does because free beer)

“Hey,” he shoulder checks Seunghoon because his hands are full and numb from the ice cold beers. “It’s too crowded here. Let’s go out.” 

“Then why did you ask us to come here in the first place?” Seunghoon grunts but takes the bottles off of Minho’s hand and pass one to Jaewon.

“We can get a table but only after midnight.” Minho says and leads them towards the bar which is slightly less crowded – " _slightly_ " and has a decent view towards the stage. Even then, they are squashed together shoulder to shoulder among the crowd. 

“Hey,” Minho leans forward to say hi to Jaewon, while lightly elbowing Seunghoon who is in between them. Seunghoon gives him a side eye but takes a few steps back so Minho can shift closer to Jaewon. 

Minho is going to waste his entire paycheck on buying Seunghoon any food he wants if he keeps being a true homie like this. 

Jaewon says something to him but the bass is too loud around them, so Minho leans further, holding onto Seunghoon’s waist and almost bending down the whole of his upper body. He hasn’t noticed before that Jaewon is actually this petite, because even with Minho bending down, Jaewon still has to tiptoe a little to talk into his ear, which is a hell lot of endearing. 

“I didn’t know you are a rapper.” Jaewon shouts into his ear. “Amazing show, by the way.” 

“Thanks,” Minho grins and raises his bottle. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Seunghoon hyung dragged me out.” Jaewon laughs. “I am glad he did though.” 

Minho beams up at Seunghoon, who is being extremely interested in Jiho’s stage . As if Minho doesn’t know perfectly that he is eavesdropping into Minho and Jaewon’s conversation. Minho pinches the soft skin under Seunghoon’s shirt just a little and Seunghoon glares at him before slapping Minho’s offending hand away. 

“Do you guys have like a mix tape or something?” Jaewon is asking, unaware of the quiet tug war going on between Minho and Seunghoon. “I’d love to listen to more of your stuff.”

Minho feels the warm pride and joy every time someone expresses interest in his music, except this time it is about a thousands folds more. 

“Yeah, yeah, we do.” He says almost too eagerly. “Actually, we have a website with all the download links. I’ll send you the link later.”

“You don’t have my contact though?” Jaewon replies and Minho silently thanks the stars that Jaewon is walking right into it. 

“You can give it to me now.” Minho says, hopefully coming across as cool instead of desperate.

Jaewon nods and fishes his pockets for his phone. Minho does not need to look up to know that Seunghoon is probably rolling his eyes at him. Well, Seunghoon can suck it because Jaewon is handing his phone over to Minho with a smile.

He is too engrossed with typing his number in and calling from Jaewon’s phone that he doesn’t even notice Jiho is on his last song, a fact which he is never going to tell Jiho because he likes not getting nagged to death.

“You guys want something stronger?” Minho asks once he hands the phone back to Jaewon and notices that the amount of beer in both of their bottles has been significantly reduced. “Jiho hyung is wrapping up soon and we can get a table in like 10 minutes, I think.” 

“I have a shift at 1 so one beer is already pushing it.” Jaewon says, and if he does not look as disappointed as Minho feels, Minho would have cursed at how the night has suddenly turned out to be. 

“This late?” He asks like he is not the one working night shifts for the previous weeks. “Where are you working at?”

“Late night cinema.” Jaewon gives an embarrassed smile. “It’s not the best job but it pays fairly well.”

“you can at least catch movies for free.” Minho replies. “That’s already a better perk than most jobs.”

“We only show old movies. I think the most recent one they show so far is Oldboy.” 

“Oldboy is a classic.” Minho replies, not even lying. “Actually, I love classic movies. Do you have a family and friend discount because I am going to show up.”

Jaewon tucks at his hoodie string and nods. Which Minho thinks is a flirty gesture but he is not 100% certain because whenever Minho flirts, it is with the intention of fucking and that always comes with much more obvious and sexual gestures. 

“If you don’t mind teenagers making out and smoking in the theatre then, we are open every night.” Jaewon shrugs.

Minho sort of wants to reply with “I’d rather smoke and make out with you in the theatre.” But there is a little voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Lee Seunghoon saying _please don’t_. Plus, he’d rather not show off how lame he can get this early in the game. 

“I am really going to come over.” He points a finger at Jaewon and says instead. “You just wait.” 

“They are here.” Seunghoon suddenly says and leaves his spot. Minho doesn’t even realize how close they are standing unless Seunghoon leaves to go and wave over Jiho and Jihoon over. 

“We did good.” Jiho bounces over and high fives him. “The crowd is sick.” 

“You guys were amazing.” Seunghoon says and Minho realizes that this is the first time he hears Seunghoon commenting on the show. He can’t believe he forgets to ask if Seunghoon enjoyed himself. 

“Yeah? How did I do, hyung?” He turns to ask.

“Meh,” Seunghoon shrugs and Minho elbows him in the ribs.

“Jerk.”

“You know you did fine.” Seunghoon laughs and wraps an arm around Minho’s shoulders. “Don’t fish for compliments.”

Jaewon is laughing along awkwardly at the side and Minho points at him. “This is Jaewon by the way, guys.” 

“Oh,” Jiho comments. “The Jaewon that you …” 

Minho steps on his foot before Jiho can finish the sentence, which is thankfully easy because they are all standing practically on top of each other in this crowd. 

Jiho glares at him but stops talking, because even though he gets his life’s pleasure from torturing Minho time to time, he also knows when not to step over the lines. Jihoon, probably sensing the potentially awkward situation, steps in and introduces himself to Jaewon. 

Jaewon eventually leaves, right after the performances are over and people start scattering towards the bar, leaving only the ones who are already dancing and grinding on the main floor. Minho was hoping that Jaewon would change his mind and stay but honestly, he understands. Part-time student workers are the most recyclable material in the job industry and if you don’t want to live on ramen and boiled eggs, you are going to have to suffer through some inhumane shift hours. 

The table that the club owner promised Jiho finally clears up long after Jaewon left, and since both Jiho’s and Jihoon’s – who do not exactly have a small social circle – friends arrive, all of them kind of end up sitting over each other. Minho is squashed between one of Jihoon’s friends whose name he can’t remember and Seunghoon who is half sitting in Minho’s lap. 

The alcohol on the table keeps appearing and disappearing and reappearing, and even though Minho knows he is going to regret both the bill and the hangover tomorrow, he keeps drinking anything and everything shoved towards him and Seunghoon, who, by the way, is fitting in like a fish in water. 

Seriously. No one would be able to guess that Seunghoon has met and known almost everyone here for only an hour. He is currently doing some sort of drinking game with Taewoon and Sung Kyung that involves a pen and three coasters. And from the way Taewoon and Seunghoon keep having to down their glasses, Sung Kyung is probably cheating and just trying to get them drunk. 

Minho stops Seunghoon from bottoming his third glass up because he remembers Seunghoon telling him that he can’t drink well, and the guy’s face is already turning red. 

“Enough with the games, hyung.” Minho says and pries Seunghoon’s fingers off the glass. 

“And you,” he points at Sung Kyung. “Stop trying to get them shitfaced. You know Jiho hyung’s gonna bitch at you if he has to carry Taewoon hyung back home tonight.” 

“Whatever,” Sung Kyung waves him away and shoves at Taewoon. “Not my fault they are bad at this game.” 

“You literally just made up all the rules for the game.” Seunghoon snorts. “And then change them half way.”

She gives him a laugh that says she has zero remorse and Seunghoon flicks the coaster at her before leaning back into the couch, probably elbowing Taewoon based on the “ouch” that comes out from Taewoon, who is sitting next to him.

“You good?” Minho leans his head next to Seunghoon and asks. 

“Awesome,” Seunghoon mumbles and gives a thumb up but his eyes are also fluttering close so Minho does not trust him. 

Seunghoon’s previously gelled hair is now lying flat on his head and Minho runs his fingers through it, messily combing away the gel until the bangs fall across his forehead. Seunghoon has his eyes closed and Minho half wonders if he is already asleep. He looks incredibly young like this, hair all messy and cheeks red and puffy. There is a small plaster on his chin – he has been whining about the zit on there for the past few days – and Minho absently runs his fingers over it. 

“You guys wanna go dance?” Taewoon asks, getting up and almost tripping onto the table. “Sweat out the alcohol a little?”

Minho doesn’t mind one way or another, but Seunghoon opens his eyes and shakes his head. “I don’t feel like dancing.”

“Lee Seunghoon doesn’t feel like dancing?” Minho says, pulling his legs in when Taewoon climbs over them to go out. “What has the world come to?”

“You try dancing for twelve hours a day and see if you can still get down at the club.” Seunghoon mumbles. “My legs are killing me.”

“What about your back?” Minho asks. “You’ve seen a doctor yet?”

“It’s fine.” Seunghoon slurs unconvincingly. “I am fine.”

Minho sighs but does not push further. That is a conversation to have when they are both a little more sober, although Minho is already on his way. He can drink more but he honestly do not want to. He has enough buzz and not having a terrible hangover in the morning will be just a plus.

“If you are tried, hyung,” Minho shakes Seunghoon a little and says. “Go home and get some rest.”

“Don’t want.” Seunghoon says and rolls over to the spot Taewoon just vacated. “The song is good. Plus, Sung Kyung promised me tequila. I want tequila.”

“No tequila for you.” Minho says and stretches his legs a little. A lot of people have left to dance, so at last, he can have more than three inches of space on the couch. “You are already slurring your words.”

“Fuck you,” Seunghoon says and pokes at Minho’s thigh with his feet. “I can drink more.”

“If you black out, I am not dragging your ass back home.” Minho slaps at Seunghoon’s leg. How did he not notice before that Seunghoon is wearing leather pants – tight leather pants clinging onto his long, long legs. 

“You can see Jaewon.” Seunghoon sings like it is an incentive. “We live together, remember?”

“I am not carrying your drunk ass just so I can see Jaewon at 4 in the morning.” Minho snorts. “I can see him whenever I want. I got his number.”

“Yeah, I saw.” Seunghoon grunts. 

“My game was on point, right?” Minho grins. “I got his number.”

Seunghoon gives him an unimpressed look. “What game? He basically offered you his number on a plate.” 

“Hey,” Minho says, a little offended. “Don’t be rude. We were flirting.”

“You call that flirting?” Seunghoon snorts. “How did you ever get a boyfriend, dude?”

“Well, excuse me, Casanova,” Minho hisses. “It’s not like you are any better. I don’t see you pulling anyone here.” 

Come to think of it, Minho hasn’t ever heard anything about Seunghoon’s love life. The only thing he knows is Seunghoon’s banker/accountant/boring ex-boyfriend, and even then Minho doesn’t even know that guy’s name. Anyway, Seunghoon looks like one of those people who doesn’t really like publicizing his love life so Minho doesn’t really bother with it. 

“Because I don’t want to.” Seunghoon replies. “I am hiding my game on purpose.”

“Yeah, right.” Minho laughs.

“I am serious.” Seunghoon glares at him. “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.” He half-sings in English.

“Oh my god,” Minho blurts out. “Please don’t. I don’t want to see your milkshake.”

Seunghoon suddenly sits up from where he is half lying on the couch and straddles Minho’s legs inelegantly. Minho has to put his hands on Seunghoon’s thighs before he falls over and brains himself on the table. 

“What are you doing?” He asks when Seunghoon leans forward, putting his arms around Minho’s head, essentially trapping Minho between him and the couch. The leather is stretching across Seunghoon’s thighs and Minho can feel the muscle definition underneath the pants.

“Flirting.” Seunghoon answers, breath smelling like orange vodka and peanuts. 

“Do you often climb onto people’s lap when you are flirting?” Minho asks, slapping Seunghoon’s thighs a little to prove his point. 

“Why not?” Seunghoon shrugs. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a boy on your lap.” 

“Only when I want to fuck him at the end of the night.” Minho whispers back, gripping at Seunghoon’s thighs when he shifts forward a little, and resolutely trying not to think about how Seunghoon’s ass is only a couple of inches away from sitting right on Minho’s groin. 

“What? Are you saying you don’t want to fuck me?” Seunghoon asks casually like he is asking about the damn weather, and Minho hisses, tightening his grips on Seunghoon in vain hope that Seunghoon would stop moving so goddamn much. 

“Dancers are really flexible, you know.” Seunghoon leans in further, his forehead almost touching Minho’s and slurs his words out. 

“Fucking hell, hyung.” Minho swears, not sure if he should pull Seunghoon in or push him off before both of them make fools out of themselves. 

But Seunghoon makes the choice for him and jumps off almost as sudden as he climbed on Minho’s lap. Minho realizes only a beat later that Sung Kyung is standing across the table, a tray full of tequila shots in her hands and a smirk on her face. 

Seunghoon grabs a shot glass from the tray and does a little dougie as if he just didn’t fucking proposition Minho in the middle of a club. It is really unfair of him to carelessly say shit like that and leave while Minho is just sitting here, willing his dick to calm down a little bit.

Fuck.

It is not like Seunghoon is completely off the mark, ok? Minho knows how flexible Seunghoon is. He’s seen Seunghoon raises his legs over his head while bending down his waist at an inhumane angle. He knows. And he’d be lying if he hasn’t thought about it once in a while, but Minho has a rule of never fantasizing about his hoards of attractive friends because it is not only extremely creepy but also a shitty-friend thing to do.

But then again, no one from his hoards of attractive friends has ever given him a semi-lap dance like Seunghoon just did. 

A shot glass appears in front of his eyes and Minho looks up to see Jiho holding one out for him with a look on his face that suspiciously seems like judgment. Minho groans and takes the glass, joining in the cheers before drowning it in one go. 

Seunghoon doesn’t try to corner Minho for the rest of the night but that’s probably because he is too busy drinking everything Sung Kyung is giving him and clinging to everyone around him. Minho wonders if Seunghoon is one of those drunks who just gets hornier and flirtier with the increased alcohol level in their bloodstream. That’d explain a lot.

The lights in the club come on around 5 in the morning, signaling the closing time and they are more or less the only people left in the club. Jihoon has left way earlier with a girl in tow. Taewoon has passed out on the floor, no matter how much a disgruntled Jiho is shaking him.

Seunghoon is sleeping with his head on Minho’s lap and Minho himself has been nodding off for the past few minutes. He is not that drunk but the tiredness is catching up on him. 

“You good with bringing that one home?” Jiho asks, pulling Taewoon off of the floor. 

Minho sighs and briefly imagines leaving Seunghoon on the side of the road. He eventually gets up though, pulling at an unresponsive Seunghoon. Sung Kyung, who is somehow still firm in her steps despite doing shots to shots with Seunghoon, helps him get Seunghoon on his back and calls them a cab.

Only then, Minho realizes he doesn’t know where Seunghoon lives. 

Well, shit.


	7. Take this song out and eat it like chocolate

_**  
Song:[Eat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibb5RhoKfzE) by Zion. T** _

Jaewon answers in a groggy snap when Minho calls him. Minho apologizes profusely and Jaewon groans before sleepily muttering their address. Luckily, it is one of those apartments on the main street easily accessible by road so they reach without getting lost. 

“I am really sorry.” Minho says when Jaewon opens the door to the apartment and lets them in. Seunghoon is soundly asleep on Minho's back, snoring softly into his ears until Minho dumps him onto the large couch in the living room. “I’d bring him to my place but we have no overnight visitor rules.”

“It’s fine.” Jaewon mumbles, clutching at his coffee mug and looking adorable in his striped pyjamas. “You want coffee?” 

Minho really should not because he needs to sleep but what is one more bad decision to make?

He sits down at the kitchen island while Jaewon pours him a fresh cup from the pot. Seunghoon and Jaewon live in a place that has an actual kitchen island, compared to Minho who has been eating his food on a plastic table in his dorm. 

“Did you even manage to catch some sleep?” Minho accepts the mug and asks.

Jaewon sits down in front of him and rubs his eyes. “Sort of. My shift ended at 3, so 3 hours, give or take?” 

“Damn, dude. I’m sorry.” Minho mutters. “You can blame Seunghoon when he wakes up.”

“It’s fine. He’s dealt with me in far worse situations.” Jaewon says and sips his coffee. “Actually, he rarely gets this drunk. The only time I’ve seen him like this is after he broke up with Mark.” 

Jaewon snaps his mouth shut suddenly like he just blurted out something he shouldn’t have said. 

“His ex?” Minho asks, before Jaewon can worry himself over spilling out Seunghoon’s sexuality to some stranger. “I heard he’s an accountant?”

“I think so?” Jaewon smiles, a little thankfully and replies. “He doesn’t really hang out with us and Seunghoon hyung doesn’t really like to talk about his relationships.”

Tell him about it. 

“Yeah, well,” Minho shrugs. “I think it’s good for him to have fun once in a while. He’s going to be having a hell of hangover in the morning though.” 

“It is morning.” Jaewon laughs and points out the window where the sun is starting to rise. “What about you? You look like you are ready for a hangover as well.”

“I hope not. I think I sober up carrying your hyung home. He is surprisingly heavy.” 

“Thanks for that, by the way. I’ll ask him to buy you food later.”

“That’ll be a change.” Minho laughs. 

“Hey,” Jaewon starts and Minho puts down his mug. “I listened to some of your songs during last night shift. They are dope.”

“Yeah?” Minho smiles. “Thanks, man.”

“Actually, I didn’t remember it last night, but I think I’ve heard one of your tracks with Sungbin hyung before.”

“Wait, you know Sungbin hyung?” Minho asks. He knows Sungbin is a SIA alumni but the surprising fact here is that Jaewon knows people in the hip hop circle.

“Yeah, I was in his crew for a while before he graduated. But it was only for a couple of months.” 

“You are a rapper?” Minho asks in complete shock because how could he not have known this? He has been to Sungbin hyung’s crew’s performances and when they are not the tightest of friends, it is a custom to know who is in whose crew.

“I am still learning. I don’t even have any song out.” Jaewon blushes and says. “I mean I am not even in their official crew. More like, you know, hanging out and picking things up. And after I drop the last semester, I haven’t been around them much.”

“Right.” Minho nods. “Doesn’t it take like two hours to get to SIA from here?”

“Yeah, I used to live at the dorms but I move in here after I left because my cousin hyung lives here as well. Plus, I am taking a lot of odd jobs so I don’t have much time.” 

“You should drop by at our studio sometimes.” Minho says. “I mean, I am not asking you to jump crew or something. Just, you know, you can hang out. Did Seunghoon hyung tell you that we are shooting a music video next week?”

He is probably being a little pushy but Minho does not care. Honestly, what are the chances that the guy that he is sort of into is a rapper like him?

“He did.” Jaewon nods. “I am sorry to miss it but I am going to Kota Kinabalu for the next few weeks.”

“Kota what?” Minho repeats.

“It’s a city in Malaysia. I’m going with a few friends hiking.” 

Minho’s nods even though he has never and will never get the appeal of hiking. 

“But, I might just take up on your offer and drop by at your studio when I get back.” Jaewon says. “You guys were amazing last night. I mean it.” 

“Yeah, just give me a call when you get back.” Minho says enthusiastically. Jiho is probably going to judge him a hell lot but when is he not judging Minho? 

“Sure,” Jaewon says and yawns widely. It’s about 6:30 in the morning so that officially means that Minho has been awake for more than 48 hours, and Jaewon also looks like he can use a little or a lot of sleep. 

“You should get some sleep.” Minho says and stretches a little. “Sorry for keeping you up.” 

“I was the one keeping you up.” Jaewon says, and rises from his chair, gathering both his and Minho’s cups. “Are you sure you can sleep after all this caffeine?” 

“I am going to sleep through the end of the world at this point.” Minho says and a large yawn comes out as if to prove his point. 

“Alright.” Jaewon laughs. “The door is automatic. Just shut it back after you leave.”

“Right.” Minho nods. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“It was nice talking to you.” Jaewon smiles at him and struts into the kitchen, carrying the mugs. 

“Same,” Minho mumbles and gives him a little wave before heading off towards the door. 

Seunghoon is still in the same position Minho dumps him earlier, long legs hanging off the arm rest and face squashed into the back of the couch.

“You are gonna regret your whole life in the morning.” Minho mumbles and covers Seunghoon’s body with his long abandoned coat before showing himself out. 

He almost misses his stop on the bus because he was falling asleep in his seat and has to zombie his way through the campus until he reaches his dorm, and crashes unceremoniously into his bed.

*

When Minho finally wakes up with a thick mouth and a blurry head, it is already 2 in the afternoon and he can hear people mulling about in the hallway. His everything feels gross and he stomach is screaming for sustenance, but he cannot bear to move. But at the same time, if he sleeps anymore, he is going to end up with a drowsy head.

His phone is flashing on the nightstand and he leans over to check. Most notifications are the messages from people last night asking if he is still alive and functioning. And a bill division from Sung Kyung because that girl does not rest when it comes to money. He ignores it for the time being.

“Thanks for not letting me die.” One of the messages from Seunghoon reads, followed by another message that comprises of just a row of sick emojis. 

Minho grins and calls Seunghoon. The caller ring goes on for a while before Seunghoon finally picks up.

“How is the hangover?” Minho asks in lieu of a hello and Seunghoon grunts into the phone. 

“I think I am half dead.”

“Don’t be a drama queen.” Minho laughs. “You’ll live.”

“I’ll live but I won’t enjoy it.” Seunghoon replies, apparently not getting the note to stop being a drama queen.

“Have you eaten?” Minho asks. “Let’s go eat some beef bone soup. It’s good for hangovers.”

“Don’t want.” Seunghoon groans pathetically. “I don’t want to leave the house.” 

Minho sighs because Seunghoon can be a lazy-ass bastard at times. 

“Fine. I’ll go buy some and come over, you goddamn princess.” He grunts into the phone.

“Don’t bother. Jaewon is not here.” Seunghoon replies, and Minho gets a little taken aback to be honest.

“What are you saying?” He says. “Have I never hang out with just you before?”

“Sorry,” Seunghoon says sheepishly after a couple of silent beats. “I am just tired and cranky. And hungry.”

“That’s why I am coming over to feed you, you jerk.” Minho mumbles.

“Sorry,” Seunghoon sighs. “Come over then. I’ll be waiting.” 

*

It takes Minho another ten minutes to actually pull himself out of the bed and head to the washroom. And despite trying to rush himself, it is already 4 in the evening when he knocks on Seunghoon’s door, armed with two large beef bone soups and rice. Seunghoon answers the door in a shirt that is large enough to swallow his frame and his favorite short shorts. At least, it looks like he showered and changed so he shouldn’t have been suffering too much.

“You slept well?” Seunghoon takes the carriers from Minho’s hands and asks.

“Yeah,” Minho follows Seunghoon into the back of the house and sits down at the now familiar kitchen island. He can even see the washed mug that he was drinking coffee from earlier on the dish rack. “I woke up at like 2.”

“I woke up around noon to throw up.” Seunghoon says, pouring the soup out into a large pot. “And then I can’t go back to sleep.”

“So, you just, what? Lay around the house feeling sorry for yourself?” Minho laughs and Seunghoon glares at him.

“I had a headache, ok?” Seunghoon slams a plastic container full of Kimchi in front of Minho and says. “Still have one actually.”

“Try to get some sleep afterwards.” Minho says and accepts the rice bowl Seunghoon is handing him with a mumbled thanks. “Don’t you have a morning class tomorrow?”

“Since when did you memorize my class schedule?” Seunghoon asks, and sits down next to him before greedily gulping down successive spoonful’s of the steaming soup. 

“Jesus, chew a little.” Minho mumbles as Seunghoon starts to devour the food in front of him like an industry-strength vacuum cleaner on a particularly dusty floor. It is kind of fascinating to watch if Minho is not half scared of the possibility of Seunghoon choking himself on the hot soup.

“I am hungry.” Seunghoon mumbles, a few pieces of rice flying out of his full mouth. Gross.

“You didn’t eat anything?” 

Seunghoon shakes his head to Minho’s question. “No food. We need to go grocery shopping. I ate some dry cereal though.”

Minho knocks his feet into Seunghoon and tsks at him. For someone who has been leading a dance crew for a couple of years, Seunghoon is seriously bad at taking care of himself. He would rather forgo a meal if he is feeling lazy and doesn’t even feel like making the most basic ramen. Sometimes, Minho wonders how he is still alive and (relatively) healthy.

“Order deliveries or something.” Minho mutters. “You are gonna end up with a busted stomach one day.”

“I have you.” Seunghoon smirks and steals the meat inside Minho's bowl that he just meticulously pulled away from the bone.

“What am I? Your keeper?” Minho snorts but gives him the rest of the meat because he is pretty sure Seunghoon will just drink the soup if he thinks taking the meat off the bone is too much work.

Seunghoon hooks his foot with Minho’s under the table and swings them a little, knocking them gently into the table leg.

“Thank you though.” He says with a small smile. “For both the food and for bringing me home last night. I didn’t even know when I blacked out.”

“Right after you declared that you are not going to black out.” Minho says, and Seunghoon puts his palms over his face in a deep groan. 

“God, I hope I didn’t do anything too embarrassing.”

Minho does not know if Seunghoon remembers him trying to flirt with Minho or if he does not count that as embarrassing, but he does not want to remind it in case it leads to awkwardness. But still, he is not going to let Seunghoon off the hook that easily.

“You are kind of a slut when you are drunk.” He says with perfect timing and Seunghoon chokes on his soup. 

“I am not!”

“You were cuddling with everyone two feet around you.” Minho says. “I mean Sung Kyung is like half your size and you were trying to snuggle into her chest while standing.”

“Oh god,” Seunghoon whimpers. “You know what? I don’t want to know.”

“It was cute though.” Minho laughs. “Everyone was basically treating you like a very tall overgrown puppy.”

Seunghoon wrinkles his nose and stabs at his rice with the chopsticks. “I am never getting drunk again.”

Minho laughs and uses his toes to tickle at Seunghoon’s feet, who kicks him back in retaliation. 

Thank god Minho gets the large size soup because they decimate the food between the two of them within half an hour and Seunghoon is even tilting the bowl to catch the last drop of the soup. 

“Jaewon says you guys had a nice talk this morning?” Seunghoon asks after he gets up from the table, and Minho looks up from where he is gathering the dirty plates.

“Yeah. He talked about me?”

Seunghoon nods, grabbing the dishes from Minho’s hands and walking over to the basin. “He says you are nice even though he thought you are kind of weird when he first met you.”

Minho groans. That sounds exactly like the type of impression he didn't want to make.

“Well, as long as he no longer thinks that.” He says and hops onto the counter next to the sink where Seunghoon is washing the dishes. “By the way, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he’s a rapper.”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Seunghoon rolls his eyes. “I am not gonna play matchmaker for you. I only brought him along last night because I told him I was going to a rap show and he was interested.”

“Yeah, but that was before we knew each other, no?” Minho asks. “I mean, I understand not wanting to set your friend up with some stranger dude, but honestly, now? Do you think I wouldn’t make a good boyfriend or something?”

“I think you’d make an excellent boyfriend.” Seunghoon replies and Minho gets silent for a while because the answer is too unexpectedly favorable. “But it’s not about you or him. Relationships are complicated enough for your own. I’d rather not get caught up in other people’s.”

“Sounds like you are speaking from experience.” Minho says and Seunghoon stares at him before shrugging it off.

“Jaewon had some not so great relationships in the past. I don’t want to add onto it.”

Minho expects some sort of anger or jealousy over Jaewon’s past failed relationships, but all he is getting is some sort of vague sadness.

“They were not your fault though. I mean, I don't know about any of them, but I don't think they are,” He tells Seunghoon. “Plus, not like I am going to break his heart.”

“Sometimes,” Seunghoon smiles gloomily. “You end up breaking someone’s heart whether you want to or not. And you might not even know that you are doing it.” 

This is, perhaps, the most personal thing Seunghoon has ever said to Minho, not because of the words themselves but because of the way he is speaking, like it is something he knows too well. Like it hurts him just to think about it.

It is a good thing Minho does not know who Seunghoon’s ex is because if he does, he is going to give the bastard a good kick in the face or two for ever making Seunghoon feels like this. 

He is trying to form words of comfort that do not come across as too patronizing or cliché, but Seunghoon shakes himself off and smiles up at Minho, a little more genuinely. 

“You want coffee? I can make some before you need to go.” 

Minho gives a silent nod and Seunghoon returns him a small smile before busying himself with the coffee pot while Minho just sits and watches him.


	8. You make me so good to be around

_**  
Song:[Valium in the Sunshine](https://soundcloud.com/thisismaps/valium-in-the-sunshine-2) by Maps** _

_“Hello.”_

_Scan. Scan. Scan._

_Put everything in bag._

_“Cash or Credit, sir? No, m'dm, we do not accept checks.”_

_“Thank you. Please come again. Next please.”_

Minho thinks he can summarize his Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday nights down to a handful of sentences. It is boring and tediously repetitive, and sometimes, Minho misses the times when he wasn’t promoted to man the check-out counter and was stuck in perpetual re-stocking and cleaning up of aisles. At least, back then, he could listen to music and was rarely required to deal with angry housewives, even if the pay was less ideal. 

But still, he would take the repetitiveness right now instead of sitting at the empty counter for another minute. Tuesday nights always come with scarce customers and it always brings infinite boredom to Minho.

Well, technically, he can work on his song like he is supposed to when the supervising manager is not around, but Minho would rather not add frustration into boredom. He has only 20 minutes more to endure anyway. He is going to skip his classes tomorrow and work on his song for sure. (Even though that is what he said last week as well.)

A small chocolate milk bottle appears in front of him and Minho gets up from his wobbly stool before grabbing the item and scanning it without even bothering to look up and greet the customer.

“I didn’t know they allow ugly people to work at the check-out counter?” The person in front of him says and Minho raises his head to see Seunghoon grinning at him. 

“What are you doing here?” Minho laughs and reaches out to pull down Seunghoon’s beanie until it covers his eyes. 

“Buying milk.” Seunghoon pulls his hat back and says. “Excuse me, shop boy, can you do your job?”

Minho snorts but takes the money that Seunghoon is handing him. Seunghoon opens the bottle right away and suck nosily on the straw while Minho is getting his change. 

“When is your shift going to be over?” He asks when Minho hands him the change and the receipt. 

“20 minutes. More or less.” 

“I’ll wait outside, then.” Seunghoon grins and points at the stairs in front of the e-mart that Minho is working at. Minho tries to remember if he has made plans with Seunghoon but he cannot recall anything. Seunghoon is probably just bored.

Seunghoon gives him a tiny wave and goes out to sit down on the stairs, like he promised, and plays on his phone until the excruciating minutes pass and Minho can hand over the uniform jacket onto the next shift attendant in unhidden glee. 

“Let’s go,” he grips on Seunghoon’s shoulders and kneads them until Seunghoon yells at him for using too much force. The supermarket is about three stops away from campus and Minho has no idea where they are going so he just leads them towards the bus stop. 

Apparently, Seunghoon does have some ideas because he leans over and says, “Buy me supper.” 

Minho laughs. “Hyung, I am surviving on ramen myself. I am like half broke right now.”

“Why?” Seunghoon asks in mild shock. “What happened to the performance fee you got on Friday?”

“Dropped it on the four bottles of vodka and three rounds of tequila shots we had on the same night.” Minho reminds Seunghoon, who winces a little. The bill that came out of that night was not pretty even after it was split among the eight of the people there.

“Idiot.” Seunghoon mutters. “Why are you partying so much if you can’t afford to?”

“Half of my paycheck actually goes towards buying you food, you know.” Minho says and Seunghoon glares at him. 

“You didn’t even buy me that much good food.” Seunghoon says and slaps Minho on the biceps, which is kind of a weird apology. “You should have said something.”

“It’s fine, hyung.” Minho grabs at Seunghoon and laughs. “We just spent too much on the music video this month. I am normally not this broke. I can still buy you your ridiculous coffees without having to starve myself.”

Seunghoon still looks a little unconvinced but he leans in to link arms with Minho before giving an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. I guess I can buy you supper for one night.”

“Seriously?” Minho asks, pulling in Seunghoon closer when a car rushes past them on the main road. “I should go broke more often if it means you’ll buy me food.” 

“Cheap ass.” Seunghoon mutters and Minho laughs at the irony of it. Seunghoon joins in eventually, holding Minho’s arm tighter. Minho can feel the warmth radiating from Seunghoon’s body and it keeps his footsteps lighter despite his tiredness. 

The shop they decide on has quite a bit of queue because it is a popular supper spot but they decide to wait since Minho really wants to eat the chicken feet here. Plus, since Seunghoon is buying, he can order the expensive ones: Seunghoon makes bank with all the dance classes he teaches after all.

Minho gets up from the sidewalk he and Seunghoon are sitting on when a group of sharply dressed and obviously drunk people leaves the shop, vacating a table for them. He heads towards the empty table but turns backwards when he realizes Seunghoon is not with him.

Seunghoon, instead, is staring at one of the guys in the group, who looks relatively sober compared to his companions. When the guy in question notices Seunghoon on the side of the small shop, he says something to his friends before crossing over to where Seunghoon is standing. Minho reaches to him first though, and if the guy is surprised at Minho suddenly coming in to stand next to Seunghoon, he does not show it.

“Hey,” He says to Seunghoon and Minho can sense the awkwardness flowing between the two of them like a thick smoke cloud. “Um. How are you?”

“I am good.” Seunghoon says and Minho does not think he has ever heard Seunghoon sounds this … guarded. “You look good as well. Still at the old job?”

“Yeah,” the guy tugs at his tie sheepishly. “Colleague’s birthday.”

“Hey, Mark!” Someone from his group of friends calls. “We need to go before Gary pukes his brains out.”

“You guys go first.” Mark – apparently – calls back. From the way he is dressed in obviously expensive clothes and a lank yard around his neck that has the big logo of a well-known bank, Minho thinks it is safe to assume that this is the ex.

“You can go.” Seunghoon pipes in. “We are just about to go in for some supper.” 

“I thought eating supper keeps you awake?” Mark asks, and well, that is news to Minho because Seunghoon never says no every time Minho asks him for supper.

“Got into habit of eating it.” Seunghoon mumbles back. “My schedule is kind of fucked these days anyway. Supper is basically dinner for me.”

Mark narrows his eyes. “Are you working too hard again? You always forget to eat when you get like this.”

And, who the fuck this guy thinks he is? Even if it is something that Minho himself is worried about Seunghoon, it is none of his business to comment on. It is not like he is dating Seunghoon anymore, and Minho doubts they remain friends either. Apparently, Seunghoon feels the same because he replies in a sharp tone. “I am fine.” 

Mark purses his lips but doesn’t say anything. Minho can feel Seunghoon tugging on his arm a little and starts to move towards the shop.

“Actually,” Mark says. “I saw you the other day. I was going to tell you something but you went on the bus.”

Minho lets out a snicker, remembering Seunghoon’s shenanigans and Seunghoon gives him a betrayed look. 

“Tell me what?” Seunghoon asks.

“I found your necklace. The one with the anchor.” 

Seunghoon blinks. “I thought you said you can’t find it anywhere.” 

“Yeah,” Mark replies. “You know the yellow dresser? I took it out the other day and the necklace was wedged between a couple of drawers. I gave you a call but the operator says the number is not in use.”

“Yes, I changed it a few months back.” Seunghoon mumbles. “But you know where I live.”

“I was kind of busy. And to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I am welcomed there.” 

Seunghoon looks both a little sad and pissed, which is strangely kind of what Minho is feeling right now. He knew, of course, that Seunghoon dated this guy but he doesn’t know that they were serious to the point of living together and Seunghoon having a drawer of his things at this dude’s place. 

And it irks him because Minho does not have a good impression of Mark from the way Jaewon said things and honestly, this guy is not doing anything to redeem himself right now. He is not even acknowledging Minho all this time. 

“You still have the same number, right?” Seunghoon asks. “I’ll give you a call sometimes.” 

Mark looks like he wants to say something but Seunghoon gives him a quick bow and pulls Minho towards the shop. Minho absolutely does not turn and smirk at Mark who is staring at the two of them with a sour expression on his face.

Ok. Maybe a little. 

Seunghoon resolutely does not talk except to order food for them, and Minho nudges at his foot. 

“You alright?”

“Fine.” Seunghoon says and busies himself pouring out soju into their glasses.

“So…” Minho drawls. “Mark, huh? The infamous ex?”

“He’s not the infamous anything.” Seunghoon rolls his eyes. 

“He kind of looks like a douche.” Minho says and clinks his cup against Seunghoon’s. 

“He is not.” Seunghoon sighs and takes a small sip. “He is a good person.”

“Anyone that makes you sad is not a good person.” 

“I am sad because the shop owner auntie says they are out of prawn dumplings. Does that make her a bad person?”

Minho gives Seunghoon a glare. “You know that’s not what I am talking about.”

Seunghoon sighs. “I am not sad or anything. Just a little surprised, I guess.” 

“I didn’t know you guys lived together.” Minho probes. “I mean, it’s not like you tell me anything but I assume it was not that serious.”

“We didn’t live together. I just end up at his place a couple of times because it is larger and he lives alone.” 

Right, Mark looks like someone who can afford a large place in Seoul for himself. 

“And can we stop talking about my ex?” Seunghoon grunts. 

Minho is perfectly fine with it. So, he just pours more soju into both of their cups and asks the auntie to please give their food quickly.

*

Turns out Seunghoon actually is bored because Jaewon and his cousin have left for their hiking trip, leaving Seunghoon alone in the house. They end up buying an UNO pack and playing it overnight at Seunghoon’s place because Seunghoon does not have any morning class and Minho is planning on skipping his anyway.

Seunghoon is kind of adorably unlucky in UNO which is rather unfortunate because Minho is ruthless and knows no friendship when it comes to UNO. By the time Minho plays a Plus Four card for the third time, Seunghoon lets out a frustrated noise and declares the game to be over before stomping into the kitchen.

The clock is already ticking at 3 and Minho does not realize it is this late. He puts all the cards back into the UNO box and stands up, shaking his cramped legs. The night bus fare is going to be quite expensive - maybe he can just walk home. It’s only about four or five km away. 

“You can stay here.” Seunghoon comes out of the kitchen with a glass of water and says like he is reading Minho’s mind. “You can even sleep in Jaewon’s bed.”

“That’s a new level of creepy.” Minho snorts and grabs the water from Seunghoon to take a sip of his own.

“Fine. You can sleep in the living room.” Seunghoon says. “The couch is kind of comfortable.”

“You would know from all the times you’ve spent drunk on it, huh?” Minho smirks and Seunghoon glares at him.

“Don’t make me throw your ass out.” 

Minho laughs and heads over the said couch to lie down. It is not as wide as a bed but it makes a comfortable sleeping place, and he is used to sleeping on couches anyway – from the couch in the studio to the almost-broken futon at Jiho’s place. 

Seunghoon dumps a blanket and a pillow onto his chest before yawning a good night and going into his room. Minho tosses and turns a little in the dark but he soon succumbs to sleep, fatigue of the day catching up on him quickly.

He sleeps for a while and sort of wakes up when Seunghoon gently shakes him by the shoulder and tells him that he is going to the market, but it is probably a really vivid dream because why would Seunghoon be even going to the market. So, he just groans, pulls the blanket over his head and goes back into the deep, deep sleep. 

When he wakes up again, it is halfway through morning – the clock on the wall is ticking at twenty past ten and he can smell Kimchi and spices. 

“What are you doing?” He staggers into the kitchen, rubbing at his bedhead and blinking at Seunghoon who is standing in front of the stove. 

“You are up?” Seunghoon turns and asks. “I thought you’d sleep in until like noon.”

“Are you cooking?” Minho stares at the boiling pot and sprawled ingredients across the counters and asks in surprise. “Since when do you know how to cook?”

“Since always?” Seunghoon replies in a flat tone. 

“Yah,” Minho smacks at the bastard on the arm. “If you know how to cook, then why do you always make me buy you food?”

“Ow,” Seunghoon rubs at the spot where Minho hits him and pouts. “One, just because I know how to cook doesn’t mean I want to cook all the time. And two, I didn’t make you buy me food. You just want to feed me because you think I am starving myself.” 

“You are starving yourself if I don’t remind you to eat.” Minho grunts and shoves him a little so he can get a good look at the pot. “What’s this?”

“Tofu and pork belly stew.” Minho’s stomach rumbles loudly at the smell of it. 

Seunghoon laughs and pushes him away. “Go and wash up first. It’ll be ready soon.”

Minho grumbles all the way to the tiny washroom in Seunghoon’s room but takes a shower nevertheless. Seunghoon has taken out some clothes for him, which fit despite Minho’s larger frames. The pants are even a little bigger.

“Didn’t know your pant size is same as mine.” He says when he gets back out into the kitchen, where Seunghoon is cracking some eggs into the stew. 

“Those are Mark’s.” Seunghoon says distractedly, trying to save the egg shells that he accidentally put into the stew, and Minho resists the urge to take the pants off of him. 

“Why am I wearing his pants?” He asks. “Actually, why do you still have his pants?”

Seunghoon turns and raises an eyebrow at him. “Chill. He left those like so long ago. I even forgot I have them until now. And you won’t fit mines.” 

Minho feels strangely dirty, standing here in Seunghoon’s ex’s clothes but he shuts up when Seunghoon asks him to put the rice in the bowls. 

Lunch is a quick feat – Seunghoon is an unexpectedly good cook and Minho is always ready for free (and good) food. He is so going to hold the fact that Seunghoon is a good cook over his head for the foreseeable future. 

After lunch, Minho thinks about going back to dorm but Seunghoon’s room is airy and full of light with a good view of the green park in front of his apartment and smells faintly like the woody cologne Seunghoon always uses, and Minho unequivocally prefers it to his tiny cramped room that he hasn’t cleaned in weeks. So he asks Seunghoon if he can do his work here – he just needs a pen and paper anyway. 

Seunghoon easily agrees and soon, Minho is lying on Seunghoon’s bed, trying to scrape the bottom of his brain to come up with rhymes and words based on the composition he finishes a few days back while Seunghoon is at his desk, writing a report of some sort. 

“That sounds good.” Seunghoon turns and tells him when Minho utters his third round of lyrics to the tiny beat coming out from his phone speakers. 

“Yeah?” Minho asks, even though he is not completely satisfied with it himself. “Ah, my brain is burning.”

“What is it for?” Seunghoon asks. 

“One of my final evaluations.” Minho grunts. “I thought self-composition class would be a piece of cake but I can’t get anything out right now.” 

“I really like the last verse if it helps.” Seunghoon smiles.

“What about you?” Minho puts the pen down and asks. “What are you working on?”

“Different types of stage lighting and their effect on transitions” Seunghoon reads from his document with a resigned look. “Theory classes are the fucking worst.”

“Sounds boring.” Minho says.

“Can’t help it.” Seunghoon sighs and goes back to flipping through the mountains of paper on his desk. “I need technical classes to graduate.”

Minho hums and rolls onto his back, staring at the white ceiling fan oscillating beat by beat. The day is warm and he is full and content. It kind of reminds him of his old summer vacation days when they used to visit his grandparents in the country side. He and Danah would lie on the large bed in his grandma’s room after a warm meal, listening to the trees rustle in the wind, and eventually fell asleep without a care in the world. 

Like right now – he knows he should be focusing on the song but he is too content. The tip tap of Seunghoon typing on his keyboard and the cool air on his face makes Minho wants to fall asleep even more. He rolls the pen on the bed idly and peeks a look at Seunghoon, who is making ridiculous faces at the computer screen and shuffling between typing on his laptop and reading his notes. 

Minho’s gaze ends up on Seunghoon’s legs which are, as usual, bare and are folded into a pretzel on his chair, pulling at the already very short ends of his shorts. Minho thinks about last Friday night when those legs were straddling his thighs and vaguely wonder what it would be like if Seunghoon is to climb onto him while wearing those shorts that barely covers his ass. 

His dick gives an interested twitch in his pants and Minho thinks it would be a perfect time to rub one out if he is alone. The weather is good, he is not tired or rushed and he has a lapful of fantasy in his mind.

But he shakes himself out because it is kind of a fucked up thought to have about one of your best friends. It especially feels more fucked up when his gaze ends up on the string on small polaroid photos hanged up on Seunghoon’s wall, one of which is of Seunghoon and Jaewon, smiling equally wide at the camera.


	9. We are no more than friends (?)

_**  
Song:[Bonnie & Clyde](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ze6drtwiE4) by Dean** _

They can’t afford to get the warehouse for the whole day to film their video so the filming hours are scheduled only 9 to 3, which means they need to do a rehearsal somewhere else since the day itself will be jam packed and allows no room for mistakes or retakes. 

Which is why two days before the video shoot, Minho is in his full Seunghoon-approved music video attire and sweating heaps on the stage of one of the smaller auditoriums on campus. The lighting is very different from the warehouse they have rented but they can still practice the different shots they will be taking, especially the ones with the backup dancers.

“I don’t understand,” Minho says to Seunghoon after he finishes watching the second round of practice on the small handheld camera. “why we need to wear these jackets and freaking leather pants while you guys are in muscle tanks and shorts.”

“Because you are the main stars, not us.” Seunghoon says distractedly and asks Jiho to rewind a couple of minutes back in the footage where he spots a dancer going out of frame. 

“Not with you and your people.” Minho grunts lowly. Seriously, where did Seunghoon even handpick all these pretty people, and they are all showing skins – from every guy’s identical six packs to every girl’s long smooth legs. 

It is all basically tempting Minho with very, very bad thoughts. 

“I think we’ll be good after another round,” Jiho says. “Remember the frame is smaller than the actual camera we are going to use.”

Seunghoon nods and signals at his dancers to get into position. Minho sighs and cracks his neck a little before taking his position at the front row. The practice is more for the dancers to get used to the actual costumes and the beat but it is also good for Minho because he can smoothen out his gestures and stances.

“Ok,” Jiho claps after the song fades out. “Minho, you want to start on your verse?”

“Sure,” Minho nods and helps Han Byeol push in the two chairs they are using for their verse. The director, a film major friend of Jiho, said that she wants them sitting down and rapping with a couple of dancers during this verse so they quickly scavenges some fancy chairs the drama club has left over from a play a couple of weeks back.

“What do we need to do?” Han Byeol asks, clearly feeling as awkward as Minho by sitting and just facing at the camera. 

The director, who is in a heated discussion with Seunghoon, comes over with a grinning Seunghoon in tow. This will probably not bode well.

“Ok,” She claps her hand and says. “The theme is about how society keeps trying to shut you up but you want to break free, right?”

“Right…” Han Byeol drawls.

“So, we are thinking,” she smiles. “A couple of the dancer girls will come in, dance and you know be a little sexy with you and then duct tape your mouth.”

“Duct tape?” Minho repeats.

“Just across the mouth.”

“But, you’ll be tied to the chair beforehand.” Seunghoon butts in with a bright grin. Minho can tell that this is his idea from the start.

“Right,” the director nods. “So, we’ll get a couple of your struggle shots and then, we will take the breaking free shots where you rip the tape off of your mouth and start rapping.”

Minho does not really hate the idea even if he is not that keen on getting tied and taped. 

“I think that’s a nice touch.” Han Byeol says and Minho sighs. 

It takes some times to go and buy the rope and duct tape from the campus store and a couple minutes more to figure out how to tie them to the chairs without giving them rope rash when they do fight shots later. 

Seunghoon comes over with two girls after both Minho and Han Byeol are secured to the chairs, and grins at them. 

“Fifty shades of bling-bling?” Seunghoon points at the gold chains on their necks and laughs, and Minho glares at him, trying to silently shame him for his lame joke. 

But Seunghoon turns his head, quickly switching on the professional mode.

“Seo Yeon, you go to Minho and Ha Eun with Han Byeol.” He points and Seo Yeon crosses over to him, giving him a nervous smile. 

“Will it be better if they come in and then sit down on the boys’ laps?” Seunghoon asks the director who thinks for a minute and asks the girls to try out. 

Seo Yeon nods, walks in her 6 inch-heels towards Minho and sits down primly on his knees. 

“Minho, stop sitting like you are waiting on the teacher to call your name.” Seunghoon grunts and comes over, shoving at Minho’s chest until his back touches the chair. “Sit like you normally do. Legs apart and chest wide.” 

It goes on for about ten minutes, both Seunghoon and the director running back and forth between Minho and Han Byeol, guiding them and the girls through poses that would look good on screen. Minho likes seeing Seunghoon like this – a little bossy and a lot confident and professional, which is why he usually goes and watches Seunghoon’s dance classes, although he does treasure the dorky Lee Seunghoon that he usually gets. 

It is obvious that Seo Yeon is pretty uncomfortable – Minho knows she is a first year and this is her first time shooting something like this. And it is either nerves from being in front of the camera or being sprawled all over a guy two years her senior but she is giving out very rigid poses, eventually making Minho to be awkward as well.

“Seo Yeon,” Seunghoon asks after the third time he tries to correct her pose. “If you don’t like doing this, you can just tell me. Is it making you too uncomfortable?”

“No,” Seo Yeon answers in wide eyes. “I want to do this. Just, I don’t know what to do with my arms.”

Seunghoon sighs and waves at her. “Come here and give me the tape.”

She climbs off Minho and hands Seunghoon the duct tape in her hand. 

“You were off from the sitting down.” Seunghoon says and suddenly, Minho has a lapful of Seunghoon. Like a déjà vu dressed in muscle shirts and tight pants. But Seunghoon is not even paying attention to him. 

“Sit with your legs crossed if you are scared of flashing the camera but you need to do it with your back straight so the end of the chair parallels your spine. Put your elbow here so you can touch his face easier.” 

Seo Yeon comes closer to see where Seunghoon is pointing. 

“Then just touch his face on the side a little. You’ll be facing your back to the camera so don’t worry about your facial expression. Just make sure your back is at 90 degree.” Seunghoon says and rubs his palm along Minho’s jaw line. 

“I think it helps to get a little closer.” The directory says and Minho silently curses at her as Seunghoon nods and leans in until they are touching nose to nose. 

“And you!” Seunghoon says and pinches Minho a little on the underside of his jaw. “Stop looking constipated. Act like you are into this pretty girl sitting on you and seducing you.”

“You are not a pretty girl.” Minho grunts and Seunghoon pinches him harder. 

“I think the kiss idea earlier is better.” The director says and Minho blinks his eyes wide. Kiss? What kiss? There was no kiss discussed. 

“Yeah,” Seunghoon agrees and Minho is pretty sure he just heard a small whoop from Han Byeol next to him who, by the way, is getting extremely well with Ha Eun on him. 

“It’s not a real kiss.” Seunghoon turns to Han Byeol and says. Han Byeol looks a little dejected. 

“You need to close your eyes,” the director steps up in between the two chairs and says. “Acts like you are leaning in a kiss. That’s good, Han Byeol. And when their eyes are closed, the girls will slap the tape across their mouth and leave.”

“Close your eyes,” Seunghoon says and Minho averts his eyes from staring at Han Byeol and Ha Eun to look at him.

“Why?”

“To practice.” Seunghoon rolls his eyes. “Seo Yeon, come here. I think you can put your hand in his hair as well.”

“Ow,” Minho yells as Seunghoon pulls at his hair in demonstration. “No, no hand in my hair.”

“Fine.” Seunghoon rolls his eyes. “Just his face, then. Close your eyes, Song Minho.”

Minho sighs but obediently closes his eyes. 

“Keep the tape on your finger and grabs it real quick with your thumb before slapping it across his mouth. Don’t do it too hard.”

Minho feels a sticky gross patch getting smacked across his mouth, and hears an “ok” from Seo Yeon. 

“And quickly lean in and give him a peck over the tape, make sure your lipstick ring stays on the tape.”

There is a quick smack of lips over his duct taped mouth and it shocks Minho’s eyes open. Seunghoon is already turning towards the director like he just didn’t fucking kiss Minho in front of all these people. But, no one seems to be having the same mental breakdown Minho is having so he even wonders if he dreams that up.

“It’s fine if the lipstick ring doesn’t end up perfectly on the tape,” the director is saying. “We can edit it in later.”

“Cool,” Seunghoon says and turns back to Seo Yeon. “Right after you kiss him, just jump off. Make sure you don’t fall and struts back out of the frame. Just follow the red line on the floor more or less.”

“Right,” the director nods as both Seunghoon and Ha Eun gets off and walks off to the side. “You two needs to open your eyes and act shocked at each other.”

She keeps instructing them on how they need to act for a couple more minutes and then calls Seo Yeon and Ha Eun back in to do a quick camera test. Seo Yeon seems to have found a little more footing this time but Minho guiltily wants Seunghoon back on him. 

Seunghoon is watching from the sideline and gives him a thumbs up after they complete two rounds of rehearsals, and Minho smiles back at him, swallowing down this tight feeling across his chest. 

*

Jiho gets everyone pizza after all the rehearsals are done because it would be a nightmare to go and find a restaurant that can accommodate the close to twenty people they have at this time. 

Minho grabs two pieces before everything is gone and looks around for Seunghoon but he is still in the changing room. When he does come out, Seunghoon shakes his head at Minho’s offering of pizza and says he needs to go now.

“I thought you have no class?” Minho asks, chewing down on his pizza.

“Meeting up with Mark.” Seunghoon answers, adjusting the strap of the duffle bag on his shoulder.

“What the fuck.” Minho exclaims. That comes out of nowhere. “Why?”

“I wanted to pick up my necklace.” Seunghoon blinks at him. 

“It’s just a necklace.” Minho grunts. 

“My sister gave me that necklace for my 21st birthday.” Seunghoon says and Minho shuts up, even though he does think Seunghoon shouldn’t have lost it at fucking Mark’s place in the first place if it is something important to him. 

“What’s with you?” Seunghoon asks. “Why are you always so aggressive over Mark?”

“I am not aggressive over him.” Minho snorts. “I just don’t like him.”

“You don’t even know him.” Minho doesn’t reply with a childish “I don’t want to”. Instead, he wipes at his mouth and says. “I’ll come with you.”

“What for?” Seunghoon raises his eyebrows. “I thought you don’t like him.”

“Yeah, but, wouldn’t it be awkward?” Minho asks. “If you just go by yourself.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Seunghoon rolls his eyes and punches Minho lightly on the arm. “Eat your greasy pizza. I’ll call you later.”

Minho grunts and watches Seunghoon rushes out of the door, to meet fucking Mark, even though he was acting like he can’t stand the sight of that dude just a couple of days back.

“Your boyfriend is really nice.” The director comes up to him and says, and Minho chokes on an olive. “He was a big help today.”

“He is not my boyfriend.” He protests wildly. What the hell. Is this why people are not surprised when Seunghoon kissed him earlier?

“Oh,” the director blinks. “I really thought … I am sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Minho scratches at his head awkwardly. “We are just really good friends.”

“Right… You guys just look very close.” 

“Good friends.” Minho repeats. “Like I said.”

She nods awkwardly and leaves him to his thoughts.

Everyone starts to leaves one by one as the pizza vanishes, eventually leaving only Jiho and Minho and clean up the place and turns the light off.

“Hyung,” Minho says when they are walking out of the auditorium building. “Does everyone think I am dating Seunghoon hyung?”

Jiho puts down the cigarette he is trying to light and looks at him before speaking. “Minho, remember what I used to call you in high school?”

“ _Oroka_?” Minho says, remembering the stupid nick name Jiho gave him and told him that it’s the name of an anime character until Miho wised up enough to look it up on the internet. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Jiho rolls his eyes and takes a drag out of his cigarette. “How are you this dumb?” He says, and walks off ahead.

“Hyung, what the fuck?” Minho shouts after him. “What the hell does that have to do with … literally anything?”


	10. I didn't know I was lonely (till I saw you face)

_**  
Song:[I Wanna Get Better](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5osPtE7kXI) by Bleachers** _

Seunghoon does not call him and Minho should be focusing on reviewing the footage they took today, but his dorm room seems smaller than usual and his mind is too distracted by various thoughts. He thinks about calling Seunghoon, but grabs his hoodie instead and gets out of the dorm. 

By the time he reaches Seunghoon’s place, it is closing to 10 and Seunghoon’s door is locked like no one is home. Minho shakes his head, wonders what he is even doing and turns to leave when Seunghoon steps out of the lift. 

“What are you doing here?” Seunghoon mumbles and shoves past him.

“Hyung,” Minho grabs at his hand, not caring right now if Seunghoon thinks he is being invasive because fuck, it looks like Seunghoon is trying to blink his tears away. “What the hell did he do?”

“What are you talking about?” Seunghoon murmurs and tries to push Minho’s hand off of his arm. 

“You want to take a look at your face and tell me you haven’t been crying?” Minho says, looking at Seunghoon’s shining eyes, getting angrier by the second. 

“Stop making a scene, Jesus.” Seunghoon groans and opens the door before pulling Minho into the dark house. 

“If he did something, you’d better tell me because I will sock the bastard in the jaw.” Minho says.

“Are you my guard dog?” Seunghoon mutters and turns the lights on. “I am fine. He didn’t do anything.”

“Then did you accidentally pour tobacco into your eyes?” Minho snarks and sits down on the couch, pulling Seunghoon to sit down as well when he walks past him. “Come on. What happened?”

Seunghoon sighs. “Nothing. I just … I just miss him I guess.”

Minho feels a lead weight dropped into his stomach. “Mark?”

“No,” Seunghoon wrinkles his nose. “Bailey.”

“Who the fuck is Bailey?”

“The dog.” Seunghoon replies. “He’s so big now.”

“What. The. Fuck.” Minho enunciates, the confused feelings inside of him turning into disbelief and a little frustration. “Were you seriously crying over a fucking dog?”

Seunghoon glares at him. “One, I wasn’t crying. I was just a little teary. And two, I was with him since he was two months old, ok? We had a bond. And I haven’t seen him in so long.”

“I thought Mark said or did something.” Minho kicks at Seunghoon and says indignantly. “I was ready to fight the jerk.”

“Your dislike of Mark will never make sense to me.” Seunghoon says. “It’s not like he’s ever done anything to you.”

“He dumped you.” Minho mumbles. “And broke your heart.”

“Nobody dumped anybody. It was a mutual decision to break up.” Seunghoon says, offended. “And you didn’t even know me when all that shit happened. Why are you so concerned with him?”

“Still,” Minho mutters stubbornly. 

“If you are itching for a fight, do it on your own, ok?” Seunghoon says and leans forward to rub Minho on the head. “Don’t drag me into this.”

“I would totally fight for you.” Minho mumbles. 

“Please don’t.” Seunghoon snorts. “I am not rich enough to bail you out.”

Minho slaps at Seunghoon’s hand, which has gone from rubbing to scratching on his head. “Did you get your necklace at least?”

“Yeah,” Seunghoon says and tugs at the small silver necklace stringing on his neck. “You still haven’t told me what you are doing here.”

“Hanging out.” Minho says, extending his arms out. “Su casa es mi casa.”

“It doesn’t work like that.” Seunghoon snorts but he doesn’t look particularly bothered by it. “But since you are here, make yourself useful and cook me ramen.”

“What the hell.” Minho grunts. “Am I your personal lackey?”

“You said you’d fight for me.” Seunghoon pouts. “What’s a ramen to you?”

Minho glares at him but gets up nevertheless because if Seunghoon hasn’t eaten yet, it means his last meal was during lunch which was more than 8 hours ago. 

“What are you going to do if I am not around?” He mutters on his way into the kitchen. 

“Find another lackey.” Seunghoon replies and Minho pokes his upper body out from the kitchen just to flip the smug bastard a middle finger.

Seunghoon is playing on his phone when Minho carries out the ramen pot, enough for both of them because he is starting to feel a little hungry as well. 

“Look at him.” Seunghoon shoves the phone into Minho’s face before Minho can even finish putting the steaming pot on the table. “Isn’t he cute?”

On the screen is a picture of Seunghoon kissing down a small golden retriever, which is obviously an old picture based on Seunghoon’s hair.

“You look horrible as a blonde.” 

“Lies,” Seunghoon snorts before grabbing the chopsticks that Minho brought out. “If the maintenance wasn’t too much, I’d have kept the blonde. Do you know how many people hit on me in that hair?”

“Probably because they got blinded by how bright your hair is.” Minho says and gets a hit on the arm from Seunghoon. 

“The puppy is cute though.” Minho says as a peace offering. “How old is he now?”

“A little over two years.” Seunghoon replies. “Mark got him when he was only a couple of months old. He’s not a puppy anymore now.”

“You were with Mark for two years?” Minho asks in genuine surprise.

Seunghoon shrugs. “More or less. So?”

“Nothing,” Minho says. “Just… I’ve never had a relationship past two months so kind of surprising to me.”

“Not everyone can love and leave like you, Minho.” Seunghoon says and Minho rolls his eyes.

“Must have been hard when you broke up.” Minho says, remembering what Jaewon told him about Seunghoon getting trashed regularly after the break-up. It is a little understandable, given how long they had been together. 

Seunghoon doesn’t say anything and just slurps on his noodles so Minho doesn’t push any further. No matter how much comfortable Seunghoon seems with him, if there are things he doesn’t want Minho to know, it is not his place to push. 

“I kind of miss more than the dog.” Seunghoon finally says after being silent for a good while. Minho looks up from where he is rescuing the last noodle strand stuck to the side of the bowl. 

“Hyung,” he says, putting down his chopsticks.

“It is stupid,” Seunghoon shakes his head and laughs, climbing back onto the couch from where he is sitting on the floor.

“You are … Are you still in love with him?” Minho asks, staring at Seunghoon who sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

“No,” Seunghoon shakes his head. “I am not sure if I ever was. I just miss having someone.”

“You have your friends,” Minho says, getting up so he can go and sit next to Seunghoon. “You have me.”

“Not the same thing,” Seunghoon laughs and Minho feels an upsetting sting. He knows he cannot compare with more than two years of history but he at least wants to think he makes Seunghoon happy, even for a little.

“It’s just … “ Seunghoon sighs again. “I went to his place and he is still using the same ugly ass curtains and the security guard greeted me by name and Bailey went crazy just seeing me and I don’t know, I miss having someone to go home to.” 

“I am sorry,” Minho says sincerely and reaches a hand out to rub Seunghoon a little on the arm.

“No, it’s fine. I just get like this sometimes. Feeling sentimental and shit.” Seunghoon laughs and Minho thinks he looks a little teary-eyed. And fuck, he doesn’t know what to do if Seunghoon starts crying.

“You will find someone.” He rushes in to say. “I mean, half of my girls in my batch have a crush on you, like, even before we are friends, I knew you because some of them just don’t shut up about you.”

“You do know that I am gay, right?” Seunghoon asks.

“No, I thought Mark is just a very masculine girl.” Minho deadpans and Seunghoon laughs a little. “The point is you are an amazing guy and if Mark is dumb enough to let you go, fuck him. You will find someone better.”

“We let go of each other.” Seunghoon looks down at his thighs and say. “Sometimes, I feel like I should have fought harder. If not for him, for the years we spent with each other. Fuck, we were talking about buying a place together after I graduate.”

Minho ignores the tightening feeling in his chest. “Are you thinking about getting back with him?”

“No,” Seunghoon shakes his head. “It’s too late for that.”

“I mean,” Minho says, despite how much it pains him because he really does not like Mark. “He looks like he’s still into you the other day.”

“Nah, he’s just being nice.” Seunghoon says. “The thing is we broke up because there was just no passion left. Do you know what I mean? It is not like we have some explosive fights or something. One day, we just woke up and agreed to break up because there was just .. nothing.”

“It couldn’t have been nothing if it gets you this sad.” 

“He was a good boyfriend,” Seunghoon shrugs. “Of course, I was sad. But it was more about what-could-have-been. Sometimes I feel like I made a mistake, but most of the times, I’m just glad I got out.”

“Well, I am here if you ever plan to be moody again or want to get trashed.” Minho says and Seunghoon smiles. “I’ve been told that I make a great drinking buddy. I even carry the drunkards home.”

“Thanks, dude.”

“Do you need a hug?” Minho asks and Seunghoon blinks at him. “You look like you need a hug.”

“I don’t …” Seunghoon starts but Minho is already leaning forward to pull Seunghoon into his chest. Seunghoon makes some protesting noise but he comes easily, hooking his chin onto Minho’s shoulder. Minho wraps his arms around Seunghoon and rocks him side to side like mom used to do when he was a kid.

“Don’t be sad, Lee Seunghoon,” Minho says. “Its too weird to see you upset.”

“I am sorry I have emotions.” Seunghoon snorts and there is the snarky idiot that Minho knows. Minho squeezes him a little in response before letting go. 

“Do you want me to stay over tonight?” He asks.

“No.” Seunghoon rolls his eyes. “Not like I’m having a mental breakdown. Plus, don’t you have a morning class?”

Minho groans because this is one class he cannot miss and he is not looking forward to getting up at 7 in the morning. 

“Thanks for the reminder,” he grumbles and stretches out his arms. “I should be going now actually, before the buses stop coming.”

“You can stay over if you want.” Seunghoon says. “If you don’t mind rushing in the morning.”

“Nah,” Minho shakes his head and gets up. “Better to go back. I need to do some reading before the class anyway.”

“Ok,” Seunghoon nods and pushes Minho’s hand away when he reaches for the dirty plates they have just eaten from. “I’ll do them. Don’t worry.”

Minho nods and heads towards the door, stopping to put his shoes on at the shoe rack.

“Hey, Minho.” Seunghoon calls and Minho gives him a “what?” nod.

“How much do you like Jaewon?” Seunghoon asks and Minho gets a little surprised at the unexpected question.

“Why?” He asks back. “You changed your mind about setting us up?”

Seunghoon shrugs in response and Minho feels even more taken aback because this is probably the first time Seunghoon has not been adamant against the idea of Minho and Jaewon.

“Erm..” Minho stutters. “I don’t know? I mean, I am interested in him and I don’t mind going on a date or two with him, but I don’t even know him that well yet. Why are you asking me this?”

“Just wondering,” Seunghoon replies vaguely and walks towards him, reaching around Minho to open the door.

“Yeah, but why so out of the blue?” Minho grumbles. “You are so weird, I swear.”

Seunghoon just gives him a smile and watches him get out of the door, leaning his face onto the door frame when Minho is out of the way. 

“Good night.” Seunghoon mumbles before closing the door shut.

“Weird hyung.” Minho mutters and takes off.


	11. You're an Explosion (You're Dynamite)

_**  
Song:[I Bet that You Look Good on the Dance Floor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK7egZaT3hs) by Arctic Monkeys** _

The actual day of music video shoot is about as busy and a lot more frustrating than Minho expects it to be.

First, the school somehow messes up his request and they are only able to get the camera and not the camera trolley. It takes them about an hour and several phone calls before they can get the trolley to get on with the shoot.

Then, it rained pretty heavily the previous night so the outside area is slippery and one of the dancers has a pretty bad fall in her heels. The cloudy day does not help with the lighting either. The shoot over runs because of the delays and Minho has to practically beg the owner to let them extend just one more hour to finish up. 

When they wrap everything up, it is already 4 in the evening and Minho should be exhausted but he is more relieved since he can feel one weight off of his shoulders. They make up plans to meet up later and go home to shower the day’s stink off their bodies first. 

Velvet is banging loud when Minho enters with Seunghoon in tow. Unfortunately, they can’t spare the money for a table with seats this time so Jiho and the rest of the gang is crowed around a small standing table in a corner facing the dance floor. 

“It’s only Wednesday. Why is it so crowded?” Seunghoon shouts into Minho’s ear as they try to wriggle their way towards Jiho.

“There’s no entrance charge, and it’s a college club. Of course, it’s always crowded.” Minho replies and grabs at Seunghoon’s hand when a couple of drunk girls try to push their way in between them. 

“Happy hour ends in fifteen.” Han Byeol says before Minho can say hi. “Better order up now.”

Minho only orders a beer because his bank account is still suffering from the last time he went clubbing. Plus, he has to go to the editing room with Jiho early tomorrow. 

“Want me to buy you a drink?” Seunghoon leans over and asks. 

“Buy me lunch tomorrow instead.” Minho answers. “I’m going down to the editing room in the morning. I’ll come over afterwards.”

“Hmm,” Seunghoon smacks his lips and plays with the coaster on the table. “The music video shoot is over. Why are you still all over me?”

“Fuck off,” Minho laughs and pulls Seunghoon in until he is flushed against Minho’s body. “You are never going to get rid off me.”

“Like the mold in my bathroom?” Seunghoon giggles.

Minho snorts and settles his arm across Seunghoon’s shoulders. “Worse. But you should probably do something about that mold too. It’s fucking gross to see whenever I shower.”

“No one is asking you to shower at my place.” Seunghoon rolls his eyes.

“Yes but your shower actually works.” Minho shrugs. “My shower is like leftover pee. It just drips.”

Seunghoon groans and wrinkles his face. “Thanks for the visual. Seriously.”

Jiho buys them a round of shots and while Minho has the resolution to not drink too much, he’d have to be a fool to say no to free alcohol, so he picks up the shot glass and joins in with the cheers.

“Thanks for the good work guys.” Jiho says after drowning his shot glass. “You guys were amazing.”

“Yeah,” Minho nods and claps along with the dancers. “Let’s work together again soon.”

“You gonna ditch Minhyuk hyung’s team for real?” Seunghoon shoulder checks him and asks.

“Well,” Minho grins and wraps his arm around Seunghoon’s shoulders. “I like your team’s leader better.”

Seunghoon snorts but he is also smiling widely. 

“Plus,” Minho adds in. “Your team has much cuter girls.”

“Minhyuk oppa’s team has no girls.” Ha Eun points out.

“My point exactly.” Minho points at her and laughs, causing her to roll her eyes and shove at him a little. 

“What about the boys?” Seunghoon asks, resting his chin on the edge of Minho’s shoulder and blinking his eyes for extra effects. “Are they cuter as well?” Minho snorts and puts a finger on Seunghoon’s forehead to push him off. 

“Yukwon hyung is pretty cute, I guess.” Minho says and Yukwon gives him a thumbs up from across the table while Seunghoon gives him an exaggerated pout. Minho lightly pats Seunghoon on the cheek before gulping down his now lukewarm beer. 

When he turns around to look for Jiho, he spots a guy two tables over from them, staring intensely at Seunghoon. And, Minho knows that look all too well. It is the kind of looks he is used to giving or even receiving before the night ends in a stranger’s bed. 

Something inside him rumbles and Minho slides his hand down from Seunghoon’s shoulder to his waist, pulling him in tighter against Minho’s body. Seunghoon turns to look at him in question, and Minho just gives him a smile. Seunghoon raises an eyebrow but goes back to his conversation with Han Byeol. 

“Did you see Jiho hyung?” He asks Ha Eun who comes back from the bar.

“He said something about a smoke break.” She mumbles before poking Seunghoon in the arm. “Wanna go dance?”

“Yes,” Seunghoon nods enthusiastically before pulling at Minho. “Come on.”

“I need to talk to Jiho hyung first.” Minho says. He needs to ask when they are supposed to go to the editing room before either of them blacks out – or more specifically, before Jiho blacks out with the way he has been gulping down vodka like water tonight. “You guys go ahead.”

Seunghoon gives an ok and staggers after Ha Eun onto the crowded dancing floor. 

Minho finds Jiho in the smoke room, already well onto his way to getting wasted. He bums a cigarette off of Jiho and talks about tomorrow schedule before getting back into the main club area while Jiho stays behind to sober up a little. 

The floor is even more crowded when he left and Minho has to shove his way in between grinding bodies while trying his best to spot Seunghoon or Han Byeol. He finds Han Byeol first, in the corner near the DJ’s table, full on making out with Ha Eun, and Minho gives him a mental high five. 

He turns their back on them, in case one of them sees him and thinks he is being a creep. He jumps a little to the beat of the music pouring out of the speakers, and when the few people in front of him move out, he sees Seunghoon dancing a couple of feet away from him.

So is the guy who was eyeing Seunghoon earlier. Except that he is no longer just eyeing now.

Seunghoon’s flannel jacket is now tied around his waist, and the guy’s hands are just over the tied knot, centimeters below Seunghoon’s waistline. Seunghoon is in his signature deep tank top that leaves nothing to the imagination while swaying to the music and plastering his back against the guy’s chest.

Minho feels uncomfortable rumbles rolled up inside his chest like he needs to shout or smash at something before the feeling chokes him up. The guy leans forward, putting his lips over Seunghoon’s bare neck and for a split second, Minho sees red.

He rushes forward but not before Seunghoon himself gets out of the guy’s hold and turns around to say something to him, hand rubbing at his neck. Minho is not close enough to hear but from the way the guy snarls, it must not have been good.

“You alright?” Minho rushes forward, grabs at Seunghoon’s wrist and asks, glaring down at the guy.

“You are here?” Seunghoon asks when he sees Minho. “What takes you so long?”

“Sorry,” Minho says, ignoring the guy snarling at both of them. “Let’s go.”

“We are talking here,” the guy spits, reaching out as if he is going to grab Seunghoon’s arm but Seunghoon takes a few steps back.

“No, we are not.” Seunghoon says and grasps at Minho’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “Come on, let’s go.”

Minho pushes his way through the crowd, finger grasped around Seunghoon’s and looking back to make sure the guy is not following them or making any trouble, but the crowd is quite thick and soon he can no longer see him. 

“I left you for a few minutes and you got into trouble already?” He turns and says to Seunghoon who is rubbing at his neck where the guy’s lips have been.

“There wasn’t trouble.” Seunghoon mumbles and Minho’s pushes away Seunghoon’s hand on his neck to see a vague ring of teeth dent. 

“What the fuck!” He says, anger rising up again. “Is he a fucking vampire?”

Seunghoon laughs a little. “I can’t help that everyone wants a piece of me.”

Minho glares at him. “Put your jacket back on.”

“Why?” Seunghoon blinks. “It’s hot as fuck in here.”

 _To not cause trouble._ Minho thinks bitterly and rubs his thumb over the mark on Seunghoon until it starts to fade into Seunghoon’s reddened skin. 

“It hurts,” Seunghoon grabs at his hands and says. “C’mon. Dance with me.”

Minho has the unpleasant reminder of Seunghoon grinding against the guy and vaguely wonders if Seunghoon is going to turn around and rub his body all over Minho’s. But Seunghoon just holds onto Minho’s hands and bounces to the music while shaking his head violently. Minho can’t help but laughs and joins in with Seunghoon.

The spot they are in is right next to the smoke machine set up above them and when the beat drops and the smoke comes out of it, it chokes them right in the face and Minho ends up coughing even if the smoke only comes out for a few seconds. 

“Let’s get out for a while,” Seunghoon says to him. “The smoke and the crowd are making me dizzy.”

Minho thinks it is probably the cocktails and shots Seunghoon has been drinking that are making him dizzy but he nods nevertheless and pulls Seunghoon towards the exit. 

They climbs up the stairs to the club exit and Minho pokes his head out only to see it is raining pretty hard. 

“It’s pouring outside,” he turns to say to Seunghoon. Seunghoon groans in response.

“There is a small shelter though.” Minho points to the small space right in front of the club door where the roof to the building is extended onto the street in front. “Come on.”

He can feel the rain drops splashing softly against his face and it is such a refreshing change from the crowded and humid interior of the club that he release a sigh and wishes he stole some cigarettes from Jiho. 

“Seems like it is going to rain for the rest of the week,” Seunghoon says, opening his palm up towards the sky to catch the rain. Minho hums in agreement and watches the rain drops dissolve into the puddles at his feet. 

“Hey!” He hears the shout mere seconds before Seunghoon falls into him and Minho has to catch him before both of them go tumbling down onto the ground. 

“Dude, what’s your problem?” Seunghoon growls and Minho looks up to see the guy from earlier standing in front of them. 

“My problem?” The guy sneers and Minho can smell the alcohol coming from the dude even at this distance. “You are a fucking bitch. That’s my problem.” Minho tries to charge forward but Seunghoon puts an arm across his chest, making him stay put.

“You are drunk, man. Just go home.” Seunghoon says. 

“Don’t tell me what to do, fucker.” The guy slurs and gets up into Seunghoon’s face. “Don’t go around being a little cock teasing bitch if you can’t handle it.” 

“Jesus,” Seunghoon mumbles and tries to walk away but the guy shoves him, causing him to stumble backward until he hits the wall, and that breaks the already paper-thin patience Minho has left. 

Minho fists his hand tight and punches the guy square on the jaw. And ouch, he doesn’t know punching someone actually hurts your hand too.

“Minho, no!” He can hear Seunghoon shouts and that is the last thing he heard before something solid hits him on the mouth and he goes falling down hard onto the ground. He growls, anger exploding inside him and gets up to headbutt the guy right in the chest. There are hands pulling at his back and a couple of punches landed on his face but he also manages to get a hit or two in, so that’s what matters.

“Song Minho. Stop.” Seunghoon yells into his ear and Minho inhales deeply, licking at his busted lips and tasting blood.

The bouncers from the club are holding the guy, whom Minho is proud to see has a similarly busted face. 

“Come on, let’s go.” Seunghoon pulls at him and Minho raises a middle finger at the snarling guy before stumbling out into the pouring rain after Seunghoon. 

“Jesus,” Seunghoon turns at him and swears. “And you say I am the one getting into trouble.”

“I told you,” he says, rubbing the back of his hand on the side of his bloody mouth. “I’d fight for you.”

Seunghoon stares at him and then breaks out into fits of laughter.

“You are unbelievable,” Seunghoon says and holds onto Minho’s hand tight.

“A simple thanks is fine.” Minho snarls, wincing when it worsens the pain on his lip.

“Thank you,” Seunghoon says. “My hero.”

Minho huffs, blinking to get the rain drops out of his eyes. 

“It’s only a couple of streets from the studio.” Seunghoon says, pulling Minho onto the main street. “C’mon. I have a first aid kit there.” 

Minho follows Seunghoon, wincing at the pain he is starting to feel now that his heart rate has calmed down and his adrenaline is running out. This is going to be painful for the upcoming few days. Shit.


	12. We’ll go down this road (till it turns from colors to black and white)

_**  
Song:[Thinkin Bout You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7qwdHsr2tM) by Frank Ocean ** _

By the time they stumble into the dark studio room, Minho is soaked from head to toe – his feet are literally swimming inside his shoes, and he imagines Seunghoon is no better. 

“Give me a minute,” Seunghoon says and disappears into the back room. Minho takes off his shoes and jacket, shivering a little when his upper body covered only in a wet thin shirt is exposed to the cold air. 

Seunghoon comes back out with a first aid kit and a couple of towels. Minho takes the towel thankfully and tries to uselessly wipe at his wet face and hair, shouting in pain when he forgets and rubs the towel over his face.

Seunghoon tsks and grabs the towel from his hand, pushing at him until Minho sits down on the floor, his back to the wall. 

“Let me see your face,” Seunghoon mumbles and puts a hand under Minho’s chin. Minho sighs and tilts his chin up.

“It doesn’t look not that bad,” Seunghoon says after getting a good look and Minho grunts. Tell that to the stinging pain on his jaw. “You won’t need stitches at least.”

He leaves again and comes back with a small vodka bottle and an ice pack.

“What’s the vodka for?” Minho asks.

“Do you want me to put rectified spirit on your mouth?” Seunghoon says, soaking up a cotton ball with vodka and padding it gently onto the side of Minho’s mouth where he gets punched. It prickles a little. “It’ll probably swell a little in the morning. Make sure you put an ice pack over night.”

“Are you a nurse now?” Minho asks but sighs in unabashed relief when Seunghoon puts an ice pack on the cut, the coolness numbing his pain a little. 

“Dancers get all kinds of injuries.” Seunghoon replies distractedly and asks Minho to hold the ice pack himself before looking into the first aid kit box.

“Ow ow ow. Fuck.” Minho swears when a cool cotton pad lands on top of the cut on his jaw, and stings right through it. That must be the rectified spirit. 

He prefers the vodka miles more.

“Sorry, sorry.” Seunghoon mumbles and holds a palm over the good side of his face, making shush noises like he is treating a child. “You are going to have so many bruises tomorrow.”

“Well,” Minho grunts. “I hope he has more. That guy is a dick.”

Seunghoon sighs and closes the kit before sitting cross-legged in front of Minho and taking the ice pack from his face off to look closer at the wound. “You threw the first punch though.”

“He deserved it!” Minho insists. 

“I know he is a dick,” Seunghoon says and rubs the ice pack gently back in circular patterns over Minho’s face. “But I can handle it myself. I don’t need you to, like,defend my honors.”

“I am not just going to stand around and watch some fucker pushes you around.” Minho grunts. “Plus, he was harassing you before.”

“He’s just a drunk dumbass.” Seunghoon sighs. “He’s not worth breaking your face over.”

“It’s for you.” Minho replies. “Of course, it’s worth it.”

Seunghoon’s hand on his face stills. Minho can feel the cold water from the melting ice pack dripping onto his chest but his everything is already soaked so it doesn’t make that much of a difference except for a small shiver.

“Don’t say things like that.” Seunghoon whispers, voice gentle against the thunderstorm outside. “You always say shit like that without thinking.”

“Why not?” Minho asks. He means everything he has ever said to Seunghoon. 

“Because,” Seunghoon says and Minho can hear the crunches of ice from where Seunghoon is gripping his hand tight on the ice pack. Seunghoon does not continue and just breathes out slowly as if he is trying to form words in his mind. Minho folds his hand over Seunghoon’s freezing hand on the ice pack, letting the pack drops to the floor with a muted thud. 

“Because what, hyung?” Minho asks, enclosing Seunghoon’s icy hand in his until he can feel the warmth of his palm seeping into Seunghoon’s. 

Seunghoon looks down at their intertwined hands before staring at Minho in the eyes. His hair is wet and flat against his head and Minho can see the small freckles on Seunghoon’s chin and feel the breath coming out of his nose. 

“Because it makes me want to keep you.”

Minho’s heart starts thumping against his chest like his chest cavity is too small to contain it. It feels like he is too disoriented to feel anything and yet, at the same time, he is aware of every vibration in his body and every exhale of Seunghoon’s breath.

“So, keep me.” Minho whispers back, like it is the easiest solution in the world. Seunghoon’s lower lip gives a tiny tremble that Minho is close enough to see and god, have Seunghoon’s lips always looked this pink?

There is water flowing under his leg on the floor, probably from the dropped ice pack and Minho should clean it up or something but he cannot move when Seunghoon is this close and looking at Minho like he wants to own him. 

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” Seunghoon says and Minho really wants to argue back, but he can’t, not when Seunghoon’s lips are suddenly on his and the warmth of them makes him want to whimper and cling to Seunghoon, needy and desperate. 

Seunghoon’s lips falter a little and Minho chases after them, parting his mouth to let Seunghoon in. Seunghoon makes a noise in his throat that Minho is too distracted to identify, and pushes his body forward until his knees are resting next to Minho’s hips and his free hand is twisted in Minho’s hair. Minho can feel the sting picking at his punched skin but he ignores it and bites down gently on the soft lip inside his mouth. The sound that Seunghoon makes goes straight to his groin and he can feel the heat climbing up his spine despite the fact that his body is still soaking wet.

Seunghoon rests his forehead against Minho’s and puts a small peck on Minho’s open lips with his hand on Minho’s good side of the face. 

“You should have done it earlier.” Seunghoon says, and Minho wants to point out that Seunghoon is the one who kisses him, but there is a boy sitting on him with kissed swollen lips and looking at him like Minho is the only one that matters in the world, so Minho forgets what he wants to say in the first place.

He grabs Seunghoon’s face with both hands and places a firm kiss on his jaw, mouthing at the soft skin and moving down until he reaches Seunghoon’s neck. He puts his lips over the approximate area where the asshole earlier has been, and bites and licks at the skin there as gently as he can while making sure it will leave a mark. 

Seunghoon groans and twists, so Minho puts his hands over Seunghoon’s waist to still him, rubbing at the skin there – possessive and firm.

When Minho looks up at Seunghoon, he is looking right back at Minho with hooded eyes and parted lips, and Minho has a quick flash of what a fucked out Seunghoon might look like and he can feel himself getting harder.

“You were jealous, huh?” Seunghoon asks, absently rubbing at the red skin on his neck. 

“Lies,” Minho denies shamelessly and buries his nose in Seunghoon’s cheek, feeling the vibrations across Seunghoon’s face when he laughs. 

“You are cute when you are jealous though,” Seunghoon mumbles, and turns his face until his lips are once again on Minho’s. And Minho is more than ok with this plan. He deepens the kiss, wincing whenever the muscles under his cuts move, but despite that occasional discomfort, he feels like he can just sit here and kiss Seunghoon until whenever.

But apparently, not everyone has the same idea as him because there is the sound of a door being opened and Seunghoon jolts off of Minho. But it was not fast enough for the person coming in through the door to not notice them on top of each other.

The guy, who Minho hasn’t seen before, jumps a little when he sees them on the floor, surrounded by blood-soaked cotton pads and a vodka bottle while sucking at each other’s face.

“Is this how you are using my studio?” The guy says and Seunghoon almost hurts himself standing up and shaking himself off.

“Youngbae hyung, what are you doing here?” Seunghoon asks and the guy gives him a slight glare.

“I need a reason to come down to my own studio?”

“No. No, of course not. I am sorry,” Seunghoon bows deeply and Minho dumbly stands up, joining in with the bow. “We were just … I mean. This is the first time. I have never…”

“Save it, kid.” Youngbae shakes his head. “I am glad you are getting some but can you please not do it where we dance? I mean, hygiene, man.”

“We are not doing anything!” Seunghoon stutters. “I mean we are not going to do anything.”

Minho begs to differ but he keeps his mouth shut in case Seunghoon gets in trouble. 

“I don’t need details,” Youngbae shakes his head. “I am doing a late practice so can you please clean up and take the party to somewhere?”

“I am sorry,” Seunghoon apologizes again and Minho gives him another bow. 

Apparently, the best boner killer is mopping up the water off the floor where you have been making out on three minutes ago and by the time they are done straightening out the place, Minho’s everything has calmed down and even Seunghoon is not red in the face anymore. 

They apologize to Youngbae again who looks more amused than angry and leave the studio.

“Oh god,” Seunghoon groans once they step out on the street. The rain has stopped and it is only the cold wind that is left over. “This is all your fault.”

Minho gives him an offended glare. “You were the one who kissed me.”

Seunghoon mumbles something but Minho is looking down at his watch. Fuck, how is it already 2 am? 

“I need to meet Jiho hyung at 8.” He groans.

Seunghoon looks at him, worrying his lips. “We still on for lunch tomorrow?”

Minho almost blurts out why not before he remembers. Right, they just made out like teenagers in a high school, which probably violates every rule of friendship. But his face hurts and he is tired and he has to get up in 5 hours, so he does not want to think what it means now. 

“Yeah. I’ll call you.”

“Right,” Seunghoon nods. “I am just gonna walk from here.”

He turns and Minho watches him go for a couple of steps before catching up to him. “Seunghoon hyung.”

Seunghoon turns his head. “Yeah?”

“Nothing. Just,” Minho shrugs and leans in to kiss him on the cheek. “See you tomorrow.”

Seunghoon smiles, small and real before waving at him and turning his back. Minho watches him disappear around at the corner before making his way down to the bus stop.

He doesn’t know what exactly but something inside him shifts like it is finally slotting into a place that it fits perfectly.


	13. There are fights for being my best friend

_**  
Song:[The Love Club](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfjLLTmv9T8) by Lorde** _

Jiho, predictably, flips out and threatens to call Minho’s mom when he sees Minho’s bruised face the next day, like he is mom’s best friend, and not Minho’s. Minho assures him again and again that he is fine and yes, he has seen a doctor (he hasn’t) and yes, the other guy has it worse (he probably does not) until Jiho calms down a bit and lets Minho come into the editing room.

Minho normally enjoys video editing, at least for the first couple of minutes where he can see all the footage and review them, but it gets tedious after a while, with the same footage playing and re-playing and getting cut and uncut. His face stings and he did not get nearly enough sleep, but he soldiers on through the session with all his might. By the time they finish close to one-third of the video, it is already past noon and Minho is late to pick up Seunghoon. He thinks about going home and changing, but honestly, Seunghoon has seen him in worse state than sweat pants and an unironed South Park shirt. Just because they kissed last night does not mean anything has to be different, right?

It is not like he is dating Seunghoon now or anything. 

Seunghoon greets him as usual with a fist bump and a wide smile, like their lips did not touch just a couple of hours ago, and drags Minho to an Indian place that he has been dying to try out. Minho feels a little awkward at first, not sure how to act around Seunghoon, but the discomfort melts away pretty quickly with Seunghoon holding onto him and blabbering about a drama that he has been watching like he always does. Business as usual then.

They order a platter to share and Minho ends up hating half of the stuff on it but butter chicken is a godsend and he is going to pester Seunghoon into learning the recipe because the price at this restaurant is no joke. 

“Wanna come over tonight?” Seunghoon asks out of the blue, halfway through the meal. 

“I have a shift tonight.” Minho replies. “I’m taking up Ga In’s shift because she’s on leave.”

Seunghoon pouts a little, and Minho suddenly feels bad. “I’ll check with my manager if someone else is available.”

“No, it’s fine.” Seunghoon smiles and says. “I just want to hang out with you. Maybe I’ll drop by after your shift and we can catch supper?”

“Sure,” Minho laughs and knocks his knee into Seunghoon’s under the small table. “Why are you always thinking about food? You are only halfway through lunch and already planning supper.”

Seunghoon pokes his tongue out at him. 

“We can hang after this though.” Minho suggests. “I don’t have class until like 4.”

“I have class,” Seunghoon shakes his head. “Actually, do you want to go to a concert with me tomorrow night? But it might not be your kind of music.”

“Huh?” Minho blinks. “What concert?”

“Kang Seungyoon.” Seunghoon answers and Minho stares at him incredulously.

“You have tickets to Kang Seungyoon’s concert?” 

Taehyun is going to freak. He has been trying to get his hand on one ever since the sales opened but he was too late and the black market marks up the price too highly for Taehyun to be able to afford. 

“Not yet but I am going to ask Seungyoon later.” Seunghoon answers and Minho chokes on his chicken.

“Seungyoon as in Kang Seungyoon, the singer?”

Seunghoon scratches his head. “Didn’t I mention before? We are childhood friends. Sort of grew up together in Busan.”

“Holy shit. Nam Taehyun is going to fucking die.” Minho exclaims.

“What does Taehyun have to do with this?” Seunghoon asks in confusion.

“Dude, do you know how much of a hardcore Kang Seungyoon fan Taehyun is?” Minho says, only slightly guilty that he is telling something about Taehyun that he doesn’t want many people to know. It’s only Seunghoon anyway.

“Somehow, I can’t imagine.” Seunghoon blinks. “He looks like he’s too pretentious to listen to anything but indie bands that only 10 people know.”

“I mean, that’s what he want people to think, but he also has a Kang Seungyoon poster inside his wardrobe, so yeah. You’ll be surprised.” Minho says and Seunghoon bursts out laughing.

“God, this is gold. Nam Taehyun, really?”

“Hey,” Minho says slowly, an idea forming in his head. “Can I ask a favor?”

“Go ahead,” Seunghoon nods. 

“Is it possible to get Taehyun a ticket as well? I mean, I don’t know how difficult it is for you to get one, but you know, Taehyun was trying so hard to get one and I also owe him a birthday gift.”

“You owe him a birthday gift?” Seunghoon asks.

“Yeah,” Minho nods. “I was broke around his birthday so I just wrote an IOU on a piece of paper and gave it to him.”

Seunghoon snorts. “Classy.”

“I try.” Minho pokes his tongue out and says. “But if I can get him a ticket, it’d be the most awesome present and I can like skip on birthday present for the next year as well.”

“What if I get you a ticket and a special backstage pass?” Seunghoon asks and Minho’s eyes widen.

“Oh my god, I will love you forever.”

Seunghoon blushes a little and Minho realizes a little too late of the weight that his words carry, so he quickly adds in. “I mean, do you know how rare it is to get Nam Taehyun to be thankful at you? It’ll probably like bring me luck for like next seven years or something.”

Seunghoon laughs. “Fine. I will try. I can’t guarantee anything though.”

“Thank you. Thank you!” Minho says sincerely. “I owe you so much.”

“Hmm,” Seunghoon says thoughtfully, munching on his Nann. “How are you going to repay me though? Like you said, Kang Seungyoon tickets are very hard to get.”

Minho grabs his backpack, and takes out a pen before scribbling onto a small sticky note and passing it to Seunghoon.

Seunghoon looks at him curiously and reads the note. 

“Anything you want?” Seunghoon mouths the words. “What does it mean?”

“It means anything you want.” Minho rolls his eyes. “I am still kind of broke so it’s a placeholder. Tell me what you want later and I’ll get it for you. As long as you know, it’s not super expensive. Or something I can’t buy easily.”

“That’s a lot of conditions for anything.” Seunghoon laughs and shoves the note into his jeans pocket. 

“I have to set the boundaries before you ask me to buy you dinner at Pierre Gagnaire à Séoul or something.”

Seunghoon chuckles. “I am actually surprised that you know Pierre Gagnaire à Séoul and even pronounce it correctly.”

“I am a gentleman.” Minho says, sucking nosily at his gravy stained fingers. “I know classy shit.” 

Seunghoon starts laughing and Minho would be offended if he is not too busy staring at Seunghoon’s bright face. He just looks so happy and carefree that his face is almost radiating, and Minho wants to make him look like that as long as he can.


	14. You know I'm wild and young (for you)

_**  
Song:[Wild and Young](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYktOE77oog) by Kang Seung Yoon** _

Minho tries to take Taehyun to Kang Seungyoon concert as a surprise but Taehyun is the most suspicious person ever to live and starts questioning Minho, refusing to get onto the bus until Minho tells him where they are going. 

“If you are fucking with me, I swear to god, I will poison your coffee.” Taehyun mutters when Minho finally relents and tells him that he scores a couple of tickets to Kang Seungyoon’s concert. He is still keeping the backstage passes Seunghoon managed to get as an actual surprise. 

“Why would I lie?” Minho says and pushes Taehyun onto the bus. “Didn’t Seunghoon hyung tell you that he is friends with Kang Seungyoon?”

“No,” Taehyun wrinkles his nose. “Are you serious? Why did he never tell me that?”

“I mean, to be fair,” Minho says. “He didn’t know you are in love with Kang Seungyoon.”

“I am not in love with him.” Taehyun hisses. 

“Is that why you have a special Kang Seungyoon playlist?” Minho laughs.

“Oh my god, how did you know that, fucker?” Taehyun says through gritted teeth. “Stop looking through my phone! And his voice is soothing to fall asleep to, ok?”

“Whatever you say,” Minho laughs and lets out a little “oof” when Taehyun punches him in the arm. 

*

Seunghoon is waiting for them at the bus stop. The area is already pretty crowded with the concert goers, a lot of them wearing Kang Seungyoon merchandise and with cameras that probably cost as much as Minho’s one year pay check.

“Seunghoon hyung,” Taehyun calls and leaves Minho to run over to Seunghoon. “Thank you so much for the tickets, really.”

“Eh, it’s nothing.” Seunghoon laughs and passes them the ticket sheet and a lanyard. “Your ticket and backstage pass.”

“You get us backstage passes as well?” Taehyun widens his eyes and exclaims, suddenly surging forward to pull a visibly surprised Seunghoon into a hug. “Dude, you are the best.”

“Right,” Seunghoon laughs and pats Taehyun on the back awkwardly. “Minho didn’t tell you?”

“I was trying to make it a surprise.” Minho rolls his eyes and says. 

“Well, I am surprised.” Taehyun says, grinning from ear to ear. “Minho hyung, your boyfriend is the best.”

Minho stops in his track in shock. “What? We are not … Seunghoon hyung is not ..” He looks back at Seunghoon, who is staring back at him with an expressionless face. “I mean..”

“I am just joking. Chill.” Taehyun steps in and says, probably sensing the awkwardness. “But you should date him if Seunghoon hyung will have your loser ass. Imagine all the free concert tickets I can get.”

Seunghoon snorts and drags Taehyun forward by the shoulders. “This is a one time favor, you greedy little shit.”

Minho lets out a relieved sigh and follows them from a couple of steps behind. It is not that he does not want to date Seunghoon or anything, but things are a little confusing between them right now with that kiss a couple of nights back and their increasing flirting. Maybe Seunghoon is a friend with benefits but Minho has been getting no benefit since that night, not even a kiss on cheek, and they surely are not dating. But then again, it does not totally feel out of the norms to think about going on a date or being in a relationship with Seunghoon. 

“Come on. It’s free standing so we need to be there fast.” Seunghoon turns and calls at him. Minho nods dumbly, shakes himself out of his thoughts and tries to catch up.

*

Rock and soft pop are not the types of music that Minho would personally put out, but that does not mean he does not enjoy them as an audience. Seunghoon mentioned once or twice about Minho not being into the concert because Kang Seungyoon makes different music from Minho’s, but Minho honestly enjoys all kinds of music as long as they are good. Plus, rock songs are always easy to get hyped up and Kang Seungyoon is a good performer, and an eye candy to look at. 

Taehyun is singing along to every single song next to Minho, looking unusually young and fresh, radiating a child-like joy that he rarely lets slip out. Minho lives with Taehyun for a full semester – he knows how easy going and a little dorky Taehyun can be when he is with the people he is closest to, so he is not that surprised. Unlike Seunghoon, who is taking glances at Taehyun with what looks like a little awe and mirth. 

The concert goes on for about one and a half hour which is pretty impressive giving that Kang Seungyoon is belting out rock ballads consecutively for the whole time without taking so much as a ten minute break. 

“You had fun?” Seunghoon comes next to him and asks when the lights come on and the curtains fall.

“Yeah.” Minho replies truthfully. “He’s really good.”

“You can tell him that when we see him later,” Seunghoon grins, plucking out a paper confetti from Minho’s hair. Minho rubs his fingers through his hair to shake off any excess paper. 

“Are you sure he is not too tired?” Taehyun asks and Seunghoon raises an eyebrow at him. 

“You know, you are really weird today.” Seunghoon says.

“Why?” Taehyun mumbles.

“We’ve known each other for what? A year? But I think you actually laughed more today than during that whole year combined. And now, you are being a considerate person?”

“Stop making me sound like a psycho.” Taehyun mutters.

Minho snorts. “That sounds more like you. I think he is just too in love, hyung.” He turns and says to Seunghoon.

“Both of you can fuck the fuck off.” Taehyun rolls his eyes and says. “How do I look?”

“You look fine.” Seunghoon replies, giving Taehyun a once-over.

“Fine is not good enough!” Taehyun says and starts straightening out his clothes. “I need to look on point. Actually, you should have told me earlier we are going to Kang Seungyoon’s concert because I am not even wearing my good jeans!”

“Whoa!” Minho says quickly as the target turns towards him. “You look fine, dude. What are you worried about?”

“This kind of chance does not come twice, ok?” Taehyun replies. “I have like 30 minutes to persuade Kang Seungyoon to take me home. Or hotel, whatever.”

Seunghoon does a double take next to Minho. “How do you even know Seungyoon likes guys?”

“I didn’t,” Taehyun shrugs. “But thanks for confirming. Can we get a move on now? Time’s ticking.”

Seunghoon blinks after Taehyun’s striding form towards the backstage. “You know,” he turns and says to Minho. “I am starting to get a little worried for Seungyoon.”

“He doesn’t stand a chance.” Minho says solemnly before putting an arm around Seunghoon’s shoulder and dragging him forward. 

*

Apparently, Kang Seungyoon has a fan meeting or something and they need to wait for about half an hour before he can come backstage. At least, the assistant lady takes them to his dressing room so they can wait in style. Taehyun excuses himself to the washroom – Minho thinks he is probably trying to wash his hair or do his makeup or something. You can never tell with Taehyun.

“So, this is what a proper dressing room is like?” Minho asks, sprawling over the large couch seated in the middle of the room, facing a heavily lit dressing counter.

“Yep,” Seunghoon says and helps himself to a water bottle on the table. “Nothing like your 3 by 3 feet wide dressing room at Velvet.”

“It is a dressing room/backstage/storage closet.” Minho points out. “It is multifunctional.”

“Right, of course.” Seunghoon snorts and sits down in between Minho’s sprawled legs even though there are plenty of space left on the couch. “Can’t forget that.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to afford a dressing room like this in my entire career. Actually, scratch that, it’d be a miracle if I ever earn half of what this room costs.” Minho says, only a little bitterly. 

Seunghoon turns so that he is facing Minho. His legs are folded in an awkward position and Minho wonders if Seunghoon feels uncomfortable sitting like this. But if he does, Seunghoon does not show it. 

“Don’t be like that.” Seunghoon says, hand coming up to play with one of Minho’s gold chains. “You are a lot hotter when you are confident.”

Minho snorts. “Thanks. I’ll try to be more confident just so I can look hot.”

“You’d better.” Seunghoon says, and just like that, Minho is being kissed again. Minho starts to get worried about someone walking in here since the door is not locked but Seunghoon’s hands are in his hair and Seunghoon’s tongue is in his mouth and he temporarily forgets what he was even worried about in the first place. 

Seunghoon breaks the kiss after Minho is only starting to get into it. Minho does not whine, but it is a near thing. 

“You know,” Seunghoon says, and Minho can only focus more on Seunghoon’s flushed lips instead of the actual words coming out from them. “I always wonder why someone needs such a big couch in their dressing room. It just takes up too much space.”

Random. But Minho is used to Seunghoon’s mind flying all over the place at all times, so he does not bother questioning.

“You know what I think?” Seunghoon asks.

“What?”

“I think this is a sex couch.” Seunghoon says in complete seriousness. 

“A sex couch?”

“Yeah. Think about it. Have you never like, had sex with someone when you are still high for your performance?”

“So, you think,” Minho laughs. “they put a couch in the middle of a dressing room in public backstage so the singers can fuck after their performance?”

“Why not?” Seunghoon shrugs like his logic is solid and not ridiculous at all. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Mind what?” Minho asks.

“If you fuck me on a sex couch after you kill your show.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Minho swears, feeling his dick jumps up in his boxer like a dog at the smell of meat. “You are an awful person.”

Seunghoon smirks, and Minho just has to lean in to kiss that damn smirk off his face.

Seunghoon pulls at him until Minho moves on top of him, essentially trapping Seunghoon between his body and the couch. He doesn’t want to crush Seunghoon but Seunghoon does not seem to mind from the way his legs are coming around Minho’s waist and trying to push him further towards Seunghoon’s body. So, Minho presses their chests together until he can feel Seunghoon’s cold belt buckle digging into his own stomach. Seunghoon kisses like he laughs – with too much enthusiasm and sincerity like he is holding nothing back. Minho moves his hand from where he is holding Seunghoon’s jaw to underneath Seunghoon’s shirt where the skin is warm and inviting. He can feel himself getting harder and he can definitely tell that Seunghoon is too from the way they are pressed together. 

Minho vaguely wonders if Seunghoon is actually trying to make use of the sex couch right here, right now. And he can think of multiple reasons why it would be a bad, bad idea.

1\. They are in a public place.  
2\. If Taehyun walks in right now, Minho is never going to live this down.  
3\. Since when have they graduated from friends with slight benefits to actual friends who have sex with each other?

But on the other hand of the equation,

1\. Seunghoon.

It is a real dilemma, especially when Seunghoon makes a low sound in his throat that is half whine, half moan and it goes straight to Minho’s dick.

“We should stop.” Minho says, with great difficulty, before his dick takes over his brain. 

Seunghoon sighs and clumsily wipes his wet lips with the back of his hands. “Come home with me tonight.” 

From the way Seunghoon is looking at him, Minho knows that this time, it is not to play UNO and eat ramen. He swallows dumbly and nods. “Yeah…ok.”

“Why do you look so terrified?” Seunghoon asks.

“I am not,” Minho answers but before he can finish his sentence, he can hear the door open behind him and rushes to get off of Seunghoon. And promptly falls off the couch onto the cold ground. 

“Are we … interrupting something?” Minho looks up from his very undignified position on the floor to see Kang Seungyoon standing at the open doorway with Taehyun in tow.

“You two already met?” Seunghoon asks and sits up like the two people in front of him did not just walk in on him making out with Minho. 

“Ran into him near the storage room,” Kang Seungyoon hooks a thumb at Taehyun. “I asked him if he was lost and he snapped at me.”

“I didn’t snap at you,” Taehyun mumbles and eyes Minho suspiciously. “And, I wasn’t lost. I was just looking around.”

Minho picks himself up and sits down back on the couch next to Seunghoon, hoping to look at least a little dignified. 

“You gonna introduce me to your friend?” Kang Seungyoon says, complete with air quotes and raised eyebrows. 

Seunghoon rolls his eyes , and pats Minho on the arm. “This is Minho. Behave.”

“Are you asking me or him?” Minho asks, pointing towards Seungyoon.

“Both.” Seunghoon mutters. “And that’s Taehyun, but I guess you guys are already acquainted.”

“Barely,” Seungyoon grins and starts taking off his earrings and bracelets. “You guys want chicken and beer? Actually, I can’t drink because I have an early interview, but I’d kill for some chicken wings right now.”

“Sure. I’ll call delivery.” Seunghoon nods and gets up to make the call. Taehyun plops down next to Minho and pokes Minho in the waist until Minho turns to face him.

“Not your boyfriend?” Taehyun whispers.

“Fuck off,” Minho whispers back and looks away.


	15. Why leave when I got you baby?

_**  
Song:[Sleeping with a Friend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7R0ZY9w94) by Neon Trees** _

 

Minho does not know since when did Taehyun learn how to play guitar but he apparently did because he is now talking chords and notes with Seungyoon over a forgotten chicken wing in his hand. 

Seunghoon leans in from where he is sitting behind Minho and murmurs into his ear. “You know, I never thought guitar talk can be considered foreplay.” 

Minho snorts and drowns the beer in his hand before whispering back. “I told you Kang Seungyoon does not stand a chance.”

“Hmm,” Seunghoon hums and puts his chin on Minho’s shoulder, his fingers hovering on Minho’s waist. “Wanna leave the kids alone and get out of here?”

“Somehow, I don’t think you wanting to get out of here has anything to do with wanting to leaving the kids alone.” Minho laughs lowly. 

“Shut up,” Seunghoon whispers and places a small barely-there kiss behind Minho’s ear. Minho shudders a little, grips his beer can just a tad tighter and exhales out a breath.

“Yeah, ok” He nods, making up his mind and puts his empty beer can on the table. “Let’s go.”

Seunghoon is quicker than him in standing up and putting on his jacket. “We are going off, guys.”

Kang Seungyoon looks up bewilderedly. “It’s only like 10. I haven’t even talked to you yet.”

Seunghoon snorts. “You could have if you, you know, noticed that we were sitting here too, and not only Taehyun.”

Seungyoon blushes when Taehyun gives Seunghoon a glare. Minho resists the urge to laugh. 

“I am sorry, hyung.” Seungyoon says. “You know what I’m like when I start talking about music.”

“Don’t worry,” Seunghoon laughs. “I can catch you for coffee tomorrow if you have time?”

“Yeah, sure.” Seungyoon nods. “I’m not sure if I’ll have time though. Are you sure you can’t stay now? What’s the rush?”

“Well,” Seunghoon replies with a smile, rolling up his jacket sleeves. “We are going home to fuck, so.”

Minho chokes on air and starts coughing while Taehyun smirks up at them. 

Seungyoon blinks up speechlessly at Seunghoon. “Um. Ok. Have fun, I guess?”

“We will,” Seunghoon gives a wink, and drags Minho out of the room, leaving the other two without so much a goodbye.

Minho punches him slightly on the arm once they are in the hallway. “You are too much.”

Seunghoon turns and pokes his tongue out at Minho and Minho can’t help but laugh before jogging along with Seunghoon to the taxi stand. 

The ride home is not long but Minho feels like it is never ending, especially with the way Seunghoon is holding onto his hand under the darkness of the backseat, fingers running along the back of Minho’s hand until Minho grabs at them to stop. Seunghoon turns to smile at Minho and he looks somehow ethereal under the yellow street lights they are passing by. Minho never particular cares or notes about Seunghoon’s looks but right now, he looks so beautiful that Minho is itching to pull out a paper and draw his face just to capture it as much as he can. 

The taxi drops them right outside the gate to Seunghoon’s apartment and Minho follows a step behind Seunghoon, not really trusting himself not to jump Seunghoon if he gets the slightest chance. 

He doesn’t even know why he thought having sex with Seunghoon would be weird because right now, it feels like it is the only thing that makes sense in the world. He puts an arm around Seunghoon’s waist when they get into the lift and Seunghoon holds onto his hand. Unfortunately, a family comes in right after them so Minho can’t do anything other than standing in the corner and wishing the lift would go up faster. 

Minho is expecting a dark empty room when Seunghoon slides the key into the lock of his apartment and opens the door, but instead he is greeted by a brightly lit living room, one that is definitely not empty.

“I thought you are not back until next week!” Seunghoon says next to him, while Minho stands and gapes at Jaewon who is going through a large duffel bag in front of him. 

“Yeah, Joon Ho hyung broke his arm so we cut the trip short.” Jaewon says. “Hi, Minho hyung.”

“What the hell!” Seunghoon exclaims and takes off his shoes to step into the room, all forgotten about Minho. “Where is Joon Ho? Is he alright?”

“I am here,” A guy Minho only knows from photos as Jaewon’s cousin and Seunghoon’s second housemate comes out from one of the bedrooms and says. “I am good, except for this fucking annoying sling.”

“What happened?” Seunghoon asks, turning to gesture at Minho to come inside. Minho nods dumbly and enters, giving his greetings to both Jaewon and Joon Ho. 

“I fell off a motorcycle.” Joon Ho sheepishly answers. “Thank god it’s only after we got back down from the mountain.” 

“You are lucky you only broke your hand.” Seunghoon mumbles. “How long do you have to wear the cast?”

“Couple of weeks.” Joon Ho shrugs. “At least, I can get an MC to get excused from school.”

“You guys went to Seungyoon’s show?” Jaewon asks Minho when Seunghoon is fretting over Joon Ho. “How was it?”

“It was fun,” Minho replies. Seunghoon looks over at him from where he is talking with Joon Ho.

“Do you guys want supper? Me and Joon Ho hyung were just talking about getting some food.” Jaewon asks.

“No, we just ate.” Minho shakes his head and answers. “Actually, I should get going.”

“Really?” Jaewon blinks. “You just got here.”

“Yeah,” Minho scratches his head. “I just remembered I need to do something. So, yeah.”

Seunghoon is staring at him across the room, and Minho raises a hand at him. “I’ll call you tomorrow, hyung.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Seunghoon walks towards him and Minho has no choice but to follow him out after saying a quick goodbye to Jaewon and Joon Ho. 

“You ok?” Seunghoon asks once he closes the door behind him. “Look, I know it’s a bit awkward with Jaewon and all, but ..”

“No, I am fine.” Minho cuts him off. “I mean, it’s just a bit weird. I thought they won’t be back until next week.”

“You and me both.” Seunghoon grumbles. “You sure you are ok? I am sorry, you know, our plans got cancelled.”

“Not your fault,” Minho gives Seunghoon a smile and says. “Just, our luck, I guess.” 

Seunghoon sighs. “Should have just stayed and eaten my free chicken in silence.”

Minho laughs. “I will call you tomorrow, hyung.”

“Sure.” Seunghoon nods, and stares at Minho for a good beat. “Are we … you know what, never mind. Good night, dude.”

“Yeah, you too.” Minho says and heads towards the lift, watching Seunghoon go back into his apartment.

Fuck.

He does not know why he is feeling so goddamn guilty. Seeing Jaewon makes him remember that he was (is?) crushing on Jaewon, and that Seunghoon knows about it.

But look at where they are now. 

To be fair, it is not like Minho is not actually dating Jaewon or even asked him out. There is nothing for Minho to be feeling guilty about. Yet, he is. But the thing is that Minho is not sure if he is guilty about being with Seunghoon or if he is feeling guilty for thinking about Jaewon when he is with Seunghoon. 

It is, if he is being honest, a shitty feeling to be having all around.


	16. We're just fumbling through the grey

_**  
Song:[Ships in the Night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCkfTCjF8SM) by Mat Kearney** _

Minho does not call Seunghoon the next day despite what he said. Instead, he rolls around in bed until he has to drag himself out for class at 9. And spent the whole class thinking about what he should do. He does not know if he and Seunghoon are dating or are something. He doesn’t know what to do about Jaewon. If he is being honest with himself, the attraction to Jaewon is still lingering there at the back of his mind, like a dormant thought, but Seunghoon is a whole different category.

The class gets dismissed pretty fast but Minho cannot remember a single word from the professor to save his life. He walks dazedly out of the lecture hall, thinking maybe he will go and crush at Jiho’s or Taehyun’s and hide from the world for a little while. 

Except Seunghoon is sitting on the bench in front of the class, coffee cups and a paper bag in hand. 

“Bought you brunch.” Seunghoon smile brightens when he sees Minho. “They are out of the scones you like, so I got you a croissant.” 

“Thanks,” Minho mumbles and returns the smile. “I thought you had class?”

“I have about five minutes before I need to run.” Seunghoon says and hands over the tall cup of coffee, and a small paper bag. “I just want to check up on you.”

Minho almost burns his tongue on the coffee. “I am fine. Why?”

Seunghoon shrugs. “Just, you know, last night.”

“I am fine,” Minho says again, and Seunghoon stares at him, teeth biting at his lower lip like he is trying to find a way to speak. Minho’s phone rings from his jeans’ back pocket and Seunghoon blinks at the sound like it pulled him out from some void.

“Your phone?” He starts.

“It’s fine. Probably just Jiho hyung.” Minho says. “Are you fine? I mean, are we?”

Seunghoon gives a short chuckle. “That’s what I came to ask you.”

Minho has never once been this awkward around Seunghoon, and he feels like it is just fucking him up more. 

“Look…” He tries to start, but Seunghoon is already shaking his head and checking his watch.

“I gotta run, but dinner?” He asks Minho, and Minho nods dumbly.

“Yeah, sure. Text me when you free up.” 

Seunghoon smiles up and hesitates a little before tilting his head to adjust the cap on his head. For a split second, Minho thought Seunghoon is going to lean in and kiss him but Seunghoon just gives him a slight nod and turns to leave.

Minho rests his back on the nearby wall and watches Seunghoon disappears out of the door, sipping on his now-lukewarm coffee.

Come to think about it. This is probably the first time Seunghoon actually brought him coffee to class, so it can’t be only Minho who is worrying over things. 

He is not sure if he feels relieved or more stressed. 

He heads towards the student lounge and sits down on one of the free seat with a loud sigh, drawing attention from the girl sitting next to him and working on her computer. He gives her an apologetic smile and takes out his phone so he can call back whoever was calling him earlier. 

And because luck always comes around when Minho does not want it, he finds Jaewon’s name on the locked screen, next to the “missed call” notification. Minho runs his thumb over the screen for a few times before finally tapping on the callback icon. 

“Hey,” he says into the phone when Jaewon picks up. “Jaewon. What’s up?”

“Hyung, hi.” Jaewon says. “Sorry. Did I call at a bad time?”

“I’m good now,” Minho scratches at his head and answers. “What’s up?”

“Remember when you said I can drop by at your studio? I don’t have work until late, so I was wondering if I can drop by this evening? Maybe before dinner?”

“Oh, right, sure,” Minho replies, quickly trying to remember if they have a studio booked for today. “I think we will be in around 4. You wanna drop by then?”

“Sure!” Jaewon’s reply is immediate. “Thanks, hyung. Text me the studio number later, yeah?”

“Alright.” Minho nods into the phone. 

“Cool, see you.” Jaewon replies brightly before ending the call. Minho sits still for a couple of minutes, coffee in hand, wondering what the fuck he just gets himself into.

*

“Didn’t know you are already this close with Jaewon,” is the first thing Jiho says when Minho turns up at the studio that evening. 

“He’s just dropping by,” Minho adjusts the throw pillows on the couch he is sitting on and replies. “Plenty of my friends dropped by before.”

“If you say so,” Jiho shrugs and goes back to mixing the song. For a split second, Minho thinks about telling Jiho about the sort-of mess he is currently in, but Jiho is not someone he tells these kinds of things to, because as dumb as this sounds, sometimes Jiho actually feels like his dad, and it is just awkward talking about his relationships with him. That’s what Jihoon or Taehyun is for.

“What about Seunghoon?” Jiho asks, and Minho’s mind goes racing for a second.

“What about him?” Minho answers, focusing on the cheap dream catcher keychain hanging on Jiho’s backpack. “He’s been here a lot of times.”

Jiho turns to give him an unimpressed look, and Minho feels uncharacteristically small, but he gets saved by the bell –or in this case, Jaewon – because he has really impeccable timing and just comes in at the right time before Jiho can open his mouth more.

Jiho is perfectly welcoming and nice to Jaewon but Minho has known Jiho for years – he can tell when Jiho really likes someone and when he is just being customarily nice to them, and it definitely is not the first case happening here. Still, conversations flow naturally among the three of them with Jiho and Jaewon leading the talk on hip hop and their mingled social circles while Minho sits and feels shitty by himself.

Jaewon even plays them some of the mixtapes he has been recording and while the recording quality is poor with a lot of ambient noises and unclear beats, it is obvious that the songs have potentials. Jaewon’s enunciation and flow shine through and even Jiho looks impressed. Soon, Minho, too, forgets the awkwardness the he is feeling one-sided, and gets more into the conversation. It has been quite a while since they have some new blood in the same line of music, and sometimes, when you work too long with the same people for too long, it is all too easy to get stuck to the status quo, no matter how talented they are. It is not that Jaewon is some kind of hip hop prodigy, but it is interesting at the very least to listen to what someone new to the scene has to offer.

“You guys wanna go have dinner?” Jaewon asks when he eventually gets up from the chair he was sitting on for the past couple hours and stretches. “It’s pretty late.”

“Can we call delivery?” Jiho asks instead. “I really need to finish this song.”

“He’s kind of a crazy workaholic.” Minho interrupts when Jaewon opens his mouth like he wants to argue. “No point in dragging him out when he is like this.”

Jiho glares at him while Jaewon laughs lightly. “I don’t mind delivery, hyung.”

“I’ll get noodles and chicken?” He asks the two guys bent over Jiho’s computer, who give him respective nods in return. 

Minho gives both of them a thumbs up and gets his phone out from his backpack to call delivery only to find a missed call from Seunghoon and a couple of texts. Shit. He promised Seunghoon he’d have dinner with him.

Minho goes out of the studio into the chilly corridor, with phone in hand, and opens a couple of text messages from Seunghoon, asking where he is and if they are still on for dinner.

It’s now 10 past 8 and Minho swallows down his guilt. He has missed plenty of dinners with Seunghoon before because he was too busy being holed up in the studio, but he knows why he feels so guilty this time.

Seunghoon picks up the call almost immediately. 

“I am sorry,” is the first thing Minho says before Seunghoon can even finish saying hi. “I was at the studio, and just got lost of time.” 

It is not completely a lie.

“It’s fine,” Seunghoon laughs from the other end. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

“I am calling delivery. Jiho hyung wants to keep working on some songs.”

Again. Not completely a lie.

“Tell Jiho all his hair is gonna fall out if he keeps working too hard.” Seunghoon says.

“You tell him yourself,” Minho snorts. “I prefer to live. Are you at your studio?”

“Yeah,” Seunghoon replies, low bass of music coming faintly from the line. “I’ll probably be here until like 9 or 10.”

“I’ll drop by if I finish up here.” Minho says, and Seunghoon gives an ok before hanging up. Minho calls the delivery place next, his mind racing a mile an hour over what the fuck he is supposed to do with Seunghoon.


	17. Paid for every heart that I ever stole

_**  
Song:[The Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGy9i8vvCxk) by Aloe Blacc** _

“I am going to steal you away from Sungbin hyung. Just you watch.” Jiho says, half serious, and half joking, while a bewildered Jaewon laughs over his empty bowl of noodles. 

“Jiho hyung still hasn’t forgiven Sungbin hyung for that one time he beat him at cypher.” Minho says, collecting the empty bowls and containers, the only evidence of their dinner. 

“It was by one vote, Minho.” Jiho says, giving Minho full stink eyes. “If you had shown up, it’d at least be a draw.”

“I had an exam!”

“Which you failed.”

Minho rolls his eyes and chugs down the rest of his coke. This is possibly the 25th time they had the same argument and Minho is not going to be the one to revitalize it this time. 

“Anyway,” Jaewon cuts in. “I don’t think Sungbin hyung cares if I am in his crew or not. He just lets me hang around the studio because I’m close to this chick he’s been seeing.”

“See, that’s why,” Jiho points at Jaewon and says. “You need to join us instead. Dude, you’ve got some flow.”

“Thank you hyung,” Jaewon laughs. “I’ll see how it goes. I am still not entirely sure if I want to do this rap thing for real.”

“He’s going to persuade you one way or another.” Minho warns. “He has a habit of collecting pretty boy rappers.”

“Then, why is your ugly ass still in my crew?” Jiho snorts. 

“Because you loved me before you knew better and now you can’t get rid of me.” Minho retorts.

“At least you are self-aware.”

“One of us has to.”

Jiho glares at Minho and gives him a middle finger before turning to Jaewon. “Can you take this guy with you on the way out? I get nothing done when he’s around.”

Jaewon laughs sheepishly. “I actually need him to. I need his student card.”

“Ah, the front gate.” Minho nods. “How did you come in before?”

“I just smiled at some students passing by and ask them to let me in.” Jaewon shrugs. “But it’s pretty late now.”

Well, Minho can understand people easily letting a stranger into the restricted studio building if that someone has a smile like Jaewon’s. 

“Let’s go then,” Minho says, glancing at the clock and standing up. It’s already 9:30, so he can drop by at Seunghoon’s studio if he is still here. “Jiho hyung, I am gonna just go off.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jiho waves him off, eyes already focused back on the mixing application on his computer in the span of two minutes that Minho was not talking to him. “Go and live your life while I waste mine away in this studio, making your next song.”

“He talks like that,” Minho says to Jaewon, hooking a thumb over his shoulder at Jiho, “but the last time I try to get him to leave the studio, he tried to beat me with his headphones.” 

Jaewon snickers, looking a little more alarmed than amused. 

“Let’s go,” Minho grabs his backpack and drags Jaewon out of the small studio room. “You going home?”

“Shift at 10.” Jaewon smiles. 

“The late night theatre where teenagers make out?” Minho asks, recalling the conversation they had a couple of weeks back. “Are you sure it’s not an adult theatre?”

“That’d at least make things more interesting.” Jaewon snorts. “Last month, we showed a French film about a couple sitting and talking in a room for the whole film. And it doesn’t even have subtitles. I honestly think the owner is high 60% of the times.”

“Then you can probably slack off.” Minho says, tapping his card on the security system and letting them both out into the cold windy night. 

“Slacking off wears down after quite a while.” Jaewon shrugs, zipping up his hoodie. “Honestly, it’s just boring as fuck, but the pay is decent and the worst thing I have to do is check if there’s any leftover condom in the seats.”

“That…” Minho says. “..is a pretty bad thing.”

“Yeah, well.” Jaewon shrugs. “You should come and visit me at work sometimes. It’s honestly not as bad as I make it sound like, I promise. You said you would last time.”

“Gonna give me that friend and family discount?” Minho smiles.

“No, but I can buy you dinner beforehand.” Jaewon replies, completely serious, and Minho stops in his track. 

“Was that too direct?” Jaewon asks, hand scratching at the back of his neck in a nervous tick. 

“Just so we are both clear here,” Minho says, gesturing between the two of them. “That’s you asking me out, right? Like on a date.”

“Yes, like on a date.” Jaewon echoes, giving a shy laugh. “I mean, I didn’t read you wrong, right? I am usually pretty spot on with these things. You were flirting me with me before.”

“No, I mean, yes.” Minho shakes his head, lost for words for a change. “It’s just. No one actually asked me out before.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Jaewon laughs.

“No, really.” Minho insists. “I mean, for sex, yeah, but for a date, no.”

“Well,” Jaewon says and tugs at his hoodie string. “I can be the first then. Asking you out for a date.” 

Minho runs his fingers through his hair, and knocks his shoes into the small rock lying on the side of the road. There is a small faded coffee stain on his dirty sneakers. From when Seunghoon once accidentally spilled his coffee all over Minho. And then promptly made Minho buy him a new one.

The yellow shapeless stain kind of reminds him of Seunghoon. He doesn’t really notice it unless he looks at it, but it is there, maybe not totally noticeable, but always just _there_.

Seunghoon is going to kill him if he knows Minho is comparing him to a coffee stain on his shoe.

“You alright?” Jaewon says. “Did I really give you that much of a shock?” 

“Sort of,” Minho mumbles. “Look, Jaewon, I am going to be honest. If you had asked me a month back, I’d have said yes without even pausing for a breath.”

Jaewon stares at him for a couple of beats like he is trying to let Minho’s words sink in. “So, what changes?” He asks finally.

“I have a stain,” Minho says before his brain catches up with his mouth, and Jaewon blinks at him, confused. “I mean, someone. I think. Sort of someone. It’s complicated.”

“Right,” Jaewon gives a small unsure laugh. “So, I was, what, too late?”

“Jaewon,” Minho starts, but Jaewon just shakes his head with a smile.

“It’s alright, hyung. I’m fine.” 

“I really liked you. Before, I mean.” Minho blabbers. “If that helps.”

“It kind of does not,” Jaewon wrinkles his nose and says. “But, don’t worry about it. I can take a no.” 

“I’m sorry.” Minho says. “It’s just …”

“Complicated,” Jaewon nods. “I get it, hyung. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I guess,” Minho shrugs, awkward and conscious in his own body.

“Listen,” Jaewon says. “Let’s just forget about it, yeah? I like you. I mean, not just as a date or a potential boyfriend or whatever, I like you as a friend. I’d hate this to make us awkward.”

“If you are sure,” Minho replies.

“Yeah.” Jaewon nods. “It’s not like I’m in love with you or anything. No offense.” 

Minho smiles, for what feels like the first genuine smile tonight. “Thanks.”

“Right,” Jaewon says, putting his hands inside his hoodie pockets and scrunching up his shoulders. “I’m just gonna run to my shift before I am any more late, and you know, pretend none of this happened. And I’d appreciate if you could, too.”

“Ok,” Minho nods dumbly. “I am sorry.”

“Good night, Minho.” Jaewon smiles at him, as genuine as ever, and Minho feels a little better. 

*

Taehyun opens the door with glaring eyes and a barely clothed body. 

“Are you already in bed?” Minho asks and pushes his way through, despite Taehyun trying to stop him with his tiny frame. “Are you sick or something?”

“I’m having someone over!” Taehyun shouts after him as Minho gets himself into the room, and adjusts his eyes to the yellow and pink shades coming from the small bed lamp next to Taehyun’s bed.

“Who?” Minho mutters but his words die in his throat as he sees a visibly embarrassed Kang Seungyoon rushing to zip up his pants. 

“For fuck’s sake,” Minho turns to Taehyun and says. “Really?”

“What?” Taehyun taunts. “You think you are the only one who can pull a Busan boy or two into your bed?”

“What bed?” Minho murmurs, same time as Seungyoon blurts out “Two?”.

“It’s a figure of speech,” Taehyun turns to Seungyoon and says. 

“Sorry, dude.” Minho shakes his head at the both of them. “I should have called or something.”

“Yeah, you should have.” Taehyun says, not kindly.

“It’s fine.” Seungyoon says, tone noticeably gentler. “I needed to go anyway.”

Taehyun mutters something under his breath but puts on his shirt. Seungyoon gives Minho an uncomfortable wave, and an even more uncomfortable hug to Taehyun before grabbing his bag, and rushing out of the room. 

“I was this close to getting him say yes for the second round,” Taehyun throws the small lube bottle at Minho and says. “You’d better have a good reason.”

“Jaewon asked me out.” Minho blurts out.

Taehyun gives him the most unimpressed look he can muster. “And you ran all the way across the campus to tell me that? What am I? Your fucking teenage diary?”

“I said no,” Minho continues, and Taehyun shuts his mouth for once. “So, yeah.”

“I didn’t know you and Seunghoon hyung are already exclusive.” Taehyun says after Minho drops himself into the small bean bag in the corner. 

“I didn’t know that either.” Minho laughs dryly. “I mean, I don’t even know what we are.”

“Clearly something if you turn down the dude you’ve been crushing on for months.”

“Yeah, well,” Minho sighs and rubs his palms over his face. “To be honest, I didn’t even know that myself until, you know, the thought of being with someone not Seunghoon actually sets in.”

“Congrats, you finally figure out you are an idiot,” Taehyun snorts and takes out two beers from the mini fridge, throwing one at Minho. “What I can’t figure out is why you are here.”

“I don’t know,” Minho shrugs, and pulls open the beer can ring. “I wanted to talk to Seunghoon.”

“I didn’t know he moved in here,” Taehyun looks around the room sarcastically and Minho flips him the bird. 

“I wanted to, but I didn’t know where to start. So, I’m here, drinking your expensive beer and getting judged.” 

“Just go and bone him.” Taehyun shrugs. “And then tell him you want to emotionally bone him too.”

“You know, now I realize why I am here,” Minho snorts. “It’s because you are such an emotionally stunted person that my feelings run dry just being around you.”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” Taehyun smirks and Minho rolls his eyes.

“What’s up with you and Kang Seungyoon anyway?” He asks. “You seeing each other now?”

“Please,” Taehyun snorts. “Do you think everyone’s like you and Seunghoon hyung? Going on cute little dates and looking at each other with stars in your eyes?”

“We literally do none of that.” Minho murmurs.

“It’s just sex.” Taehyun shrugs. “Good sex.”

“I don’t remember you bringing anybody back to your place for sex.” Minho comments.

“Dude, this is Kang Seungyoon.” Taehyun grunts. “He makes like 30 times of what I make annually in a month, and probably has an entire campground full of people who’d kill me to be in my position. He deserves my bed.”

“His place is unavailable, huh?” Minho snorts, seeing right through Taehyun’s bullshit.

“His manager is always around, apparently.” Taehyun sighs. 

“So, you are still set on moving to New York?” Minho asks.

“Huh?” Taehyun blinks. “Of course. Why is that even a question?”

“I don’t know,” Minho shrugs. “I mean, Kang Seungyoon seems like a good enough reason for you to stay.”

“Please,” Taehyun rolls his eyes. “It is good sex, but no boy can fuck me that good to make my entire future about them. And stop changing the subject. Just go to Seunghoon and slow bone him.”

“Stop saying ‘bone’.” Minho grumbles. “What do I even say to him? I mean, does he even like me that?”

Taehyun stares at him blankly. “Isn’t he the one sucking your face off just last night?”

“I know that,” Minho sighs. “But like you said, sex doesn’t always mean, you know, actually liking and wanting to be with someone. I don’t know what he actually wants.” He is getting into his anxiety phase again. “Dude, what if I go and talk to him and he just laughs in my face because all he is looking for is sex or he is still not over his ex and I just made a fool out of myself, and I lose him as a friend as well?”

“That is a lot of assumptions,” Taehyun drawls. “None of which I am qualified to answer.” 

“I am going to head home,” Minho shakes himself and drowns the last of his beer. “Take a shower. Clear my head a little.” 

“You really are not going to talk to Seunghoon?” Taehyun raises an eyebrow.

“Tomorrow, maybe.” Minho says. “I need to sort myself out before you know, trying to sort anything else out.” 

Taehyun shrugs. “Your life, your bad choices.”

“Shut up.” Minho grumbles. “At least I’m not a groupie.”

Taehyun kicks him out immediately.


	18. Love me (if that's what you wanna do)

_**  
Song:[Love Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ5bZuUlftI) by the 1975** _

Minho doesn’t take that shower. Or clear his head. Or sort himself out. Or return the three missed calls he has from Seunghoon. 

Instead, he writes, humming under his breath to the beat coming out from his phone speaker, plugging a headphone into it when the guy from next door dorm bangs on the wall and yells at him to quiet down. 

The sun came up a few hours ago and Minho’s eyes are stinging with tiredness by the time Minho types down the complete lyrics from his notebook full of scratches and ink stains. He attached the file and sends it with an email to Jiho so that he can take a look, and seriously thinks about just crashing on the desk. He doesn’t even have the energy to cross the two meters distance to his bed. 

But he must have because when he wakes up, he is face down on his bed, inhaling the dust from his duvet. Minho groans, the grogginess of messed up sleep cycle hitting him full force. Nevertheless, he forces himself to get up and take a shower before leaving for the studio. He quickly checked his phone but it is void of any text or call, the last one being the missed call from Seunghoon that Minho has yet to return. 

Minho is going to call him back. Really. He will. When he has a clearer picture of what he wants to say.

He decides to skip his class for the day – “personal reasons” – he dropped a note to the TA of the class, and grabs his backpack to head towards the studio to record the song. 

“Is it the time a senior should be waking up?” Someone says once Minho goes into the dorm lobby and Minho turns around to see Seunghoon sitting on the small ratty couch in the dorm, laptop on his crossed legs.

“What are you doing here?” Minho asks, momentarily stunned.

“Waiting for you, obviously.” Seunghoon says like it is the only answer possible. “I went up earlier to your room but you didn’t answer. But the dude next door said you were up until late so I just assumed you were sleeping in.”

“Yeah,” Minho nods and runs a hand through his hair. “I was working on a song.” 

“Did you get inspired?” Seunghoon smiles.

“Sort of,” Minho just shrugs. “How long has you been waiting, hyung? You could just have called.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Minho’s mind raced back to the missed called still red on his call log and shuts his mouth guiltily. 

“I have a feeling you were ignoring me.” Seunghoon says casually, putting his laptop into his bag and stretching. 

“I wasn’t.” Minho says petulantly. “I was going to call you back.” 

A few other students in the lounge are starting to look at them stealthily so Minho sighs, asking Seunghoon if he wanted to go up to his room. Seunghoon easily agrees and Minho leads him into his tiny dirty room.

“You know, I’ve never actually been here despite knowing you for so long.” Seunghoon comments as Minho kicks some of his dirty clothes off his bed so that he has a place to sit down now that Seunghoon is occupying the only chair in the room. “The room actually feels a lot like you.”

“What?” Minho snorts. “Dirty and messy?”

“Cozy and too much.” Seunghoon says and spins the chair around. 

“You want something? I only have water and some leftover chips, I think.”

“Why did you send me the song, Minho?” Seunghoon stops his chair-spinning and faces him to ask.

“What?” Minho blinks. “What song?”

“This morning.” Seunghoon says. “You emailed me.”

“Shit,” Minho says and grabs his laptop. And sitting there in his outbox is the email he sent, not to Woo Jiho, but to Lee Seunghoon. “I meant to send it to Jiho hyung.”

“Oh,” Seunghoon says faintly, and he looks self-conscious for the first time today. “That makes more sense, I guess.”

“Did you,” Minho swallows down the lump in his throat. “Did you read it?”

“Of course.” Seunghoon nods. “Is it something I shouldn’t have read?”

“No,” Minho sighs and leans back until his head hits the wall behind. 

“Jiho and I don’t even have the slightest similarity in our names.” Seunghoon glares at him. “How could you get an email address that wrong?”

“I was sleep deprived,” Minho exhales out and closes his eyes. “Or maybe, I did send it to the person it is meant for.”

Minho doesn’t have to open his eyes to know that Seunghoon is staring at him because it is as if he can feel that weight of Seunghoon’s gaze ticking at his skin.

“Why did you say no to Jaewon?” Seunghoon asks and Minho finally opens his eyes.

“He told you?”

“Yeah,” Seunghoon shrugs. “He sounds quite disappointed.”

“He told me he was fine.” 

“So, why did you say no then?” Seunghoon asks again. “You wanted him for so long.”

“How are you sitting there and asking that question with a straight face?” Minho rolls his eyes. “You know damn well why.”

“Do I?” Seunghoon gives a dry laugh. “I went to the doctor earlier. For my back.”

“Wait. What?” Minho blinks at the abrupt change of topic. “Did your back get worse?”

“No. I just wanted to get a checkout.”

“Why so suddenly?” Minho mumbles. “I’ve been pushing you to go see a doctor for weeks, and you always said no.”

“Because,” Seunghoon says, resting his chin on the back of the chair and giving Minho a long look. “I wanted to prove to myself. That I don’t need you. That I can do as well without you around. So, I went and see a doctor and ate a good meal by myself.”

Right. Of course, he did. That’s just Seunghoon, isn’t it? Stupidly stubborn and independent and willing to prove anything. “So, did you? Proved to yourself?”

“Yeah,” Seunghoon laughs. “That’s the thing. I’ll be just fine without you around and I don’t need you to live well, but I don’t want to. Isn’t that ridiculous? I went to eat pizza and I put all the olives on a separate plate until I realize you weren’t with me to eat them, and then I had a break down. Imagine that, a fully grown man crying over a plate of fucking overcooked olives.”

“You like me.” Minho mutters.

“What do you think, shithead?” Seunghoon snaps.

“Why didn’t you say something then?”

“Are you kidding me?” Seunghoon snorts. “You were friends with me in the first place because you wanted to get closer to Jaewon. When would I even tell you that I do like you?”

“That’s not fair.” Minho snaps back , not sure why he is starting to get irritated. “I was friends with you because I wanted to be friends with you. And you have had plenty of time when you were sucking my face off.” 

“I didn’t want you to stop and think.” Seunghoon murmurs. “I just thought, maybe you were just playing around, because you wanted Jaewon and I was just a detour so if I say anything, it’d break anything we had, and I was right, wasn’t I? You disappeared once Jaewon came back and you didn’t even bother to say anything to me.”

“Because I don’t know shit anymore.” Minho raises his voice. “I told you, right? I told you before I had never been in love, and I don’t know what it’s like but I always thought it’d be one step after another, butterflies in your stomach and shit, you know, falling step by step, deeper and deeper. But I feel like I suddenly woke up six feet under water and I can’t breathe and all I can think of is you.”

“What are you saying, Minho?” Seunghoon asks, tired. 

“I am saying the thought of being with anyone but you is something I can’t deal with. So, that’s why I said no to Jaewon. That’s why I haven’t been answering your calls because I didn’t even know that myself and now I am just … freaking out.” 

Seunghoon stares at him for a while before bending down to rummage through his backpack and throws a little square folded note at Minho’s chest.

“What is this now?” Minho mutters and unfolds it to see the same note he passes to Seunghoon a few days back, in that Indian restaurant. 

“I am collecting my due.” Seunghoon says.

Minho runs his thumb over the faded words in his own messy scrawl. Anything you want. 

“So, what do you want then?” Minho asks.

“You,” Seunghoon replies without hesitation. “From the beginning, it has been you.”

“You’ve liked me since we met?” Minho smiles up at Seunghoon.

“Since last Christmas.” Seunghoon says, and Minho blinks, not sure if he is hearing wrongly. 

“We’ve only known each other since June.”

“Last Christmas’ Eve.” Seunghoon pulls his knees to his chest, and says. “I think it was you and Jihoon, and some other people. I don’t exactly remember who. You were in a bar, drunk as fuck and crushing a karaoke competition.”

“And the owner kicked us out because we kept running up on stage to do Hotline Bling every 10 minutes.” Minho vaguely remembered that. They were barhopping that night because it’s the holidays and Jihoon got a good allowance from his dad. “You were there?”

“Eun Bin dragged me out because I just broke up with Mark and I was sulking around. I think that was the first time I actually laughed after the break up. Seeing you getting dragged off the stage.”

“Thanks,” Minho mutters under his breath.

“And then I kept seeing you around the school and I just sort of, I don’t know, crushed on you. I guess.”

“You never said anything.” Minho says.

Seunghoon shrugs. “You were a safe space. At least, it used to be. I was still reeling over Mark and you know, it’s kind of nice to have a crush, someone else to focus on. And then you were suddenly there, in front of me because of Jaewon of all people, and I thought there is no way Jaewon wouldn’t like you – and I was right, by the way. And I’d get over it eventually once you and Jaewon get together. But then, I didn’t. Get over it, I mean, and then I got scared because Mark fucking broke me, and I didn’t want to go through it again, not with you.”

“I won’t…” Minho mutters.

“You don’t know that. Shit happens and people change.”

“But you said you want me.” Minho says, gripping the paper piece tight in his fist. “So what? You are not scared anymore?”

“I am terrified down to my bones, dude.” Seunghoon laughs. “But what can I do? I am scared of getting hurt if I am with you, but it hurts even more if I am not with you. It’s a fucking mess.”

“We are a fucking mess.” Minho laughs. “We can’t even do a love confession right.”

“I know.” Seunghoon puts his chin on his knees and smiles. “What a bunch of dumbasses.”

Minho smiles back, and just stares at Seunghoon’s face. He feels like he should be closing the physical distance between them, reach out so that he can pull Seunghoon into a hug or a kiss or even just hold his hand. 

But at the same time, he feels like it doesn’t matter because right now, it is the closest he has ever been to Seunghoon.


	19. You can hear it in the silence

_**  
Song:[You're in Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXX3AO_hI_Y) by Taylor Swift** _

 

“So, I am dating Seunghoon.” Minho starts.

Jiho turns his head from the computer and stares at him for a few seconds before giving a vague head nod slash shrug and turning back.

Well. That went well.

“And I am gonna need you to give me the studio for the rest of the night.”

That elicits a more effective reaction from Jiho. “No way. Why?”

“Seunghoon is coming over.”

“Jesus Christ, not here dude. I live here.” Jiho groans.

“You don’t. You have a completely functional apartment,” Minho reminds him. “And we are not going to do anything. I just want to show him a song.”

“What song?” Jiho squints his eyes.

“Just a song.” Minho smirks. “Boyfriends stuff. You don’t need to know.”

“Wow. That wounds me deeply.” Jiho says, looking about as wounded as a bored cat stretching under the sun. “I need to finish the layering on this track, man. Go somewhere else.”

“I got the number of the girl you like from Taehyun’s photography class.” Minho drawls. “All I need is six hours of studio time tonight.”

Jiho raises an eyebrow. “Bringing out big guns, huh?”

“Deal or not?” Minho kicks the back of Jiho’s chair and asks. 

“Fine. Just tonight.” Jiho grunts and saves his work. Minho does a small fist bump and gives a hug to Jiho who promptly elbows him away.

“Don’t defile this area. This is a no-bone zone.” Jiho says, gesturing the keyboards and the production booth. 

“No promise,” Minho winks.

Jiho groans. 

*

This is the fastest Minho has ever recorded a song, mostly because Jiho usually does all the producing for him and he is a perfectionist no matter the time constraint, asking Minho to repeat a certain syllable for minutes until it hits the precise aptness Jiho has imagined in his weird brain. 

Still, it takes him about two and a half hours just to record, and Minho is only halfway through layering the vocals when Seunghoon pokes his head into the studio room. 

“Hi,” Minho grins, saving his work and getting up from his chair to pull Seunghoon in and gives a kiss on his temple. 

Seunghoon grunts grumpily. “What do you need to show me? Can we make this quick? I am hungry.”

“Can-we-make-this-quick-I-am-hungry. Name of your sex-tape.” Minho laughs and Seunghoon pushes him from the side.

“You do know that when you make jokes like that now, you are ragging on yourself as well, right?”

“Point.” Minho points a finger at Seunghoon and says. “Name of _our_ sex-tape.”

Seunghoon rolls his eyes, affectionately, Minho’d like to think, and puts his backpack down.

“There’s frozen pizza in the fridge.” Minho says as an offering. “You can use the microwave in the pantry.”

“Cool,” Seunghoon says and jumps over to the fridge. “Do you want one?”

“Nah,” Minho shakes his head, and tries to finish up the song as Seunghoon rummages in the background and leaves to microwave his pizza. 

“So, what’s up?” Seunghoon comes back in, mouthful of cheese and pizza crust, looking calmer now that he had sustenance. 

“I finished up the song,” Minho turns his head and grins. “I wanted you to take a listen.”

“Yeah?” Seunghoon give him a full smile and curls up on the soft. “Show me.”

“It’s a little rough though,” Minho warns him before hitting play. “I literally just recorded it.”

“Hmm,” Seunghoon just mumbles and lays his head on the back of his sofa. “Come here.”

Minho grins, takes the outstretched hand that Seunghoon is waving in front of him, and crashes onto the sofa next to Seunghoon, head on Seunghoon’s shoulder, and one hand on Seunghoon’s thigh, listening to the familiar beat flowing out of the speakers. 

Seunghoon nods along to the beat, fingers drumming lightly on the back of the sofa, sending tiny waves of vibrations to Minho's head.

Minho winces when the final verse hits and the background keyboard doesn’t go as smoothly as he was hoping for. “Sorry. Jiho hyung is the one who’s good at keyboard. I re-used the notes we have in the synthesizer, and..”

“Shut up,” Seunghoon turns and whispers, and Minho did, turning his head up when Seunghoon nudges at it to kiss him. 

“Did you like it?” Minho asks, pulling away from Seunghoon’s lips as the song fades into the end.

“I love it. It was amazing” Seunghoon grins. “Have I told you lately that you are amazing?”

“Not enough.” Minho laughs.

“You are amazing,” Seunghoon says and pinches Minho’s cheek like he is a small baby. “This song is going to land you an A+ for your self-composition course.”

“I am not,” Minho says. “I am not putting this up for submission.”

“Really?” Seunghoon furrows his brows. “Isn’t the submission deadline in like a week?”

“9 days.” Minho corrects him. “That’s plenty of time. I’ll come up with something else.”

“What’s wrong with this one?” Seunghoon asks.

“It’s for you. I don’t want to show it to anyone else.” Minho admits. “I didn’t even let Jiho hyung listen. I don’t know. Feel too personal.”

“Just for me?” Seunghoon mumbles the words.

“Yeah. I’ll send you a copy after I try and salvage that keyboard atrocity in the last verse. I swear to god, it sounded good when I was …”

“Where did you even come from?” Seunghoon interrupts him and pushes at Minho until he is flat against the back of the sofa and Seunghoon is half draping on him. 

“You really love the song, huh?” Minho grins as Seunghoon leans down to kiss him, all rough licks and no finesse. 

“Yes,” Seunghoon mumbles back, putting his hand under Minho’s shirt, fingernails grazing at Minho’s nipple. “The song.”

Minho hisses, pulls Seunghoon completely on him, so that he can have something to rub against his growing hard-on because he is going to be dry humping the air at this rate, just to get some friction. 

“Take your pants off,” Seunghoon half-whispers, half-licks into Minho’s neck. “You deserve the best blowjob of your life.”

“Jesus fuck.” Minho says and fumbles to get the button off of his jeans. “Are you sure? I mean, here?”

Seunghoon pulls up, mouth flushed and hair messy and Minho wonders why he even asked that question. 

“I’m sure.” Seunghoon says, lifting his body up a little and helping Minho pull off his tight jeans. “Do you know how much I want to blow you every time you wore that cheap-ass sweats?”

Minho’s dick jumps and Seunghoon doesn’t hesitate in putting his palm on it over Minho’s already wet boxers. “Easy access, you know. I could just pull them off, and put my mouth all over your dick.”

“Oh my god,” Minho blurts out and keeps his hand over Seunghoon’s so he doesn’t come ridiculously fast. “Stop talking.”

Seunghoon smirks and slithers his way down to the floor like a cat, pulling Minho’s boxers off completely in the process. Minho feels a whoosh of cool air on his dick, but it is as momentary as it can get because Seunghoon’s mouth is immediately on him, warm and soft. Minho groans, rubbing his hands on his face just so he won’t give in and grab Seunghoon by the head like he desperately wants to do. 

He tries, he really tries not to come within the first ten minutes like some virgin teenager, but it had been a long time since he last got head, plus knowing that it is Seunghoon who is running his tongue along his dick makes it a hundred times more intense, and Minho is on the edge pretty soon.

“Stop,” He pants and puts a hand on Seunghoon’s cheek. “I’m…”

Seunghoon looks up at him with a knowing look. He’d probably be smirking if his mouth wasn’t full with Minho’s dick. 

“It’s ok,” Seunghoon says, taking his mouth off of Minho, and even though Minho did tell him to stop, turns out he really didn’t want Seunghoon to. Seunghoon grips Minho hard, the pad of his thumb rubbing over the tip roughly and swears to God, Minho sees stars. “C’mon babe.” Seunghoon mumbles, giving a firm lick from the base of Minho’s dick to the top, and that’s it – Minho loses it, turning his head into the sofa so that his sounds do not attract anyone unlucky enough to be around. 

Seunghoon dabs tissues around Minho’s spent cock, and gives it a small kiss. Miho shudders and Seunghoon smiles up at him. “Sensitive?”

Minho just exhales out a breath as reply. Seunghoon gives a kitten lick to his perineum and Minho groans, reaching down to Seunghoon and pulling him up. “Give me a couple of minutes.”

“I thought dating a younger guy means good refractory period.” Seunghoon laughs but comes easily when Minho pulls him down for a kiss.

“I have excellent refractory period, I’ll let you know.” Minho says, reaching down into Seunghoon’s shorts so he can grab a hold of Seunghoon’s long neglected dick. 

“Better prove it.” Seunghoon says, biting at Minho’s lower lip and circling his still wet fingers around Minho’s ass. 

“I know where Jiho hyung stashes his condoms.” Minho whispers, giving a couple of jerks to Seunghoon. His dick might be useless now but his ass sure isn’t. “You wanna?”

Seunghoon groans and nudges into Minho’s cheek with his nose. “I wanna.”

So, turns out Minho ends up listening to Jiho after all. The no-bone zone remains undefiled. 

The sofa, though, might need a replacement if bleach doesn’t work for cum stains.

*

“We are having a small thing tomorrow night.” Seunghoon starts after Minho is fucked out and spent, sprawling on the couch, legs all over Seunghoon. “Pizza and beer night at my place. You wanna come?”

“I already did.” Minho smirks. “Twice.”

Seunghoon rolls his eyes and flicks Minho on the forehead. “I’m serious. It’ll be fun. Come and chill.”

“I mean, I don’t know,” Minho shrugs. “Jaewon...”

“I told him this morning. About us.” Seunghoon says, looking suspiciously worried. “I mean, I didn’t think it is something you’d want to hide.”

“No, of course not.” Minho quickly assures him. “I’m just not good with awkwardness.”

“I already took care of all the initial awkwardness, so.” Seunghoon says. “C’mon. If it helps, I’ll ask Jiho to drop by as well.”

“Yeah,” Minho nods. “Yeah, why not. Count me in.”

Seunghoon is right. He does get along with Jaewon, and with Jaewon and Seunghoon living at the same place, it is not like Minho can avoid him forever. He might as well go and be a grown-up at some point of time.

*

The night is not as awkward as Minho was dreading. It was at first, especially when Seunghoon left the apartment to go and get ice – which Minho suspects is a way of him giving time for Jaewon and Minho to talk because he is a stupid martyr. But Jaewon is steadfast in his promise to act like he has never once asked Minho out and it eases things a little, and by the time Jiho stumbles into the apartment with that girl from Taehyun’s photograph class in tow (because he is always quick and confident at these kind of relationship things but refuses to teach Minho how), the conversation is easily flowing and Seunghoon looks immensely self-satisfied at himself.

Which probably is why he is drinking himself stupid and grinding himself all over Ha Eun much to the grimace of Han Byeol.

“You gonna get your boy?” Han Byeol shoulder checks Minho and asks.

“Jealous?” Minho smirks. “You know he doesn’t mean anything, right? He’s just having fun.”

“I know,” Han Byeol replies, “but the last time I was around them, he was telling Ha Eun how big your dick was.”

Minho chokes on his beer. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, you’re my bro, but I don’t need to hear these things man.”

Minho groans and rushes into the small space free of chip crumbs and empty beer cans where Seunghoon is laughing something into Ha Eun’s ear.

“That’s enough for you.” He wraps an arm around Seunghoon and pulls him off of Ha Eun. “C’mon.”

“Minho!” Ha Eun grins up at him, looking as smashed as Seunghoon. Great. Maybe she won’t remember a thing in the morning. “Congrats!”

Minho shakes the hand she is stretching out with a grimace, hoping it is a congratulation for him dating Seunghoon, but he has a sneaking suspicion that it isn’t. 

“I am taking this one away.” He says to Ha Eun who is swaying in her spot. “You alright?”

Ha Eun just waves him away.

Seunghoon blabbers into Minho’s neck in what is probably a protest but Minho just gives his waist a squeeze and pulls him towards his bedroom. 

Good thinking on Seunghoon’s part to get smashed at his own house. 

“Don’t have sex with all of us in here!” Jiho yells from near the shoe rack like he hasn’t been making out with his girl for a good part of the night. 

“Minho is so noisy when he’s getting fucked, do you know that?” Seunghoon yells back, because now would be the time he regain his speaking ability, of course. 

“I didn’t, and I didn’t want to know, but thanks.” Jiho sticks his tongue out and pretends to vomit. 

“Do you want to know how big …” Seunghoon giggles and Minho immediately puts a hand over his mouth and almost breaks his back trying to pull Seunghoon into his room, Jiho’s laughter following him along in a way that means endless mockery tomorrow.

“I wanted to tell them how good you are at sex.” Seunghoon pulls Minho’s hand off of his mouth and pouts. 

“Thank you but no.” Minho says and pushes him towards his bed. “You need to stop getting wasted man.”

“Hmm,” Seunghoon groans and head dives onto his bed. Minho sighs and sits down next to him.

“You know,” Seunghoon says, turning so that he is no longer lying on his stomach. “You know I am gonna love you a lot one day, right?” He says, without even opening his eyes.

“Yeah?” Minho smiles, and runs his fingers through Seunghoon’s damp hair.

“Yeah.” Seunghoon nods, still without opening his eyes. “I mean, it is too early to say I love you now, but I know, I am gonna love you like a shit load someday.”

“I will love you back a shit load that day too.” Minho laughs as Seunghoon nudges into his hand like a sleepy cat. “Go to sleep.”

“Stay here.” Seunghoon mumbles, opening his eyes and grabbing Minho’s hands. His eyes are red from the alcohol and tiredness but Minho can still see the sincerity underneath.

“Duh.” Minho says, lying down and pushing a pillow under both of their heads. 

Seunghoon sighs contently, shoving his head into the crook of Minho’s head and his thigh between Minho’s legs. Minho wraps his arm around Seunghoon’s warm body, pulling him in closer than possible and closes his eyes.

There really is nowhere he’d rather go. Really.

*

Minho used to think he is not the type of person to fall in love at the first sight.

Turns out he is right after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thanks to all of you who have read, commented and enjoyed this one. I know I didn't get to reply to all your comments, but I did read them and thank you for your kind words and investment (?) in this fic. Hope I made your time worth it! ~ Ash


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